Chapter 234
The Spearmaster and the Black Cat
Chapter 234
Those were the chunks of meat that used to be Liliza . The flesh, which had been scattered by the explosion of Kreuz’ huge magic spear, was gathering into one again .
The regeneration process appeared to be extremely slow compared to the one of the guardian on the 20th floor, but she was definitely regenerating there .
Ah――come to think of it!
A wild idea flashed through my mind . I erased the Magic Halberd, and directed a smile at Rollodeen’sBlack Panther handsome beast face .
“…Rollo, watch me . I’m going to run a little experiment . ”
“Nya . ”
I averted my eyes from my partner, and quickly moved to Liliza’s regenerating flesh with Magic Combat Step after amassing mana in my legs .
As if performing a karuta slap1, I grasped the wriggling flesh . The flesh’s texture felt like crushed konjac . I tightly held onto the enemy who was in the middle of transforming…
Normally it would likely be correct to check the situation after reacting surprised by the flesh’s actions . However, I’m not normal . I’m a whimsical, romantic Light Demon Lucival .
Now then, the problem is this squirming flesh that reminds me of a caterpillar .
I think it would be fine to bite into this flesh caterpillar full of mana, as if replenishing precious proteins during a survival, and even suck out its soul…However, it’s the final stage of a wild party where heretics, gods, apostles, and monsters had gathered . Putting an end to this chaotic revelry by simply sucking out her soul would be a waste…
Exactly because it’s now and here, I can perform the best possible experiment . I will test out my Light-based skill .
I activated <Spirit Cursing Chain Net> .
At that moment, a flock of light chains came into existence from the surface of my palm that was grabbing Liliza’s flesh . Many of them, possibly exceeding even a thousand chains…
A flock of feeler-like chains made out of light threads that were in the middle of springing forth from my hand…
Are the small light threads independent creatures? They looked like the peach fuzz of fairies, or like midget lamps emitting a faint, fluorescent light .
And then, as soon as the shining feeler chains penetrated inside the flesh of Liliza in my hands as if melting into it while wriggling around in search of a new host, I sensed a dense mana of an unknown nature . It was an odd sensation like anxiety born through illumination in a dark night changing into relief .
Immediately after I had such a feeling, my mana was absorbed into Liliza’s flesh through the light chains .
I felt sluggish…more mana than during the use of sage arts was consumed… Moreover, a mysterious sound reverberated from the flesh . At the same time, a light net crest was carved into the flesh that used to be Liliza .
※Piiing※ Title: One that plunders a part of an Evil God’s Apostle ※ acquired ※
※ Title: Evil King of Chaos ※ and ※ Title: One that plunders a part of an Evil God’s Apostle ※ have been combined and changed ※
※ Title: Emissary of Light Evil ※ acquired ※
※Piiing※ <Apostle of Light Evil> ※ Permanent Skill acquired ※
※ Conditions for Spirit Cursing Chain User met ※
※ Conditions for Spirit Light Spearmaster met ※
※ Combat Occupation Class Up ※
※ <Spirit Cursing Chain User> and <Spirit Light Spearmaster> have combined . Class Up to <Light Spirit Spear Cursed Chain User> ※
※ Combat Occupation Class Up ※
※ <Evil Spear Tree Blood Chain User> and <Light Spirit Spear Cursed Chain User> have combined . Class Up to <Spirit Spear Blood Chain User> ※
Oooh…I acquired a skill and a new title, and my combat occupation changed as well . However, the mana decrease was abnormal…it’s a sensation I have felt for the first time in a long time .
It’s as if my stomach is filled with heavy iron balls weighing dozens of kilograms…I feel a heaviness deep inside my stomach as if suffering from an overbearing gastroptosis .
Is it because of that…?
I sense a special connection with Liliza’s regenerating flesh that had absorbed my mana, surpassing the one with the Burning Knights .
Because I gained the skill <Apostle of Light Evil>, it seems yet different from a summoning skill .
I tossed the flesh with the light net crest in front of me . The shining flesh stood still in midair . No, it squirms faintly . There’s still the sound as well . A quiet bass tone reminding me of a percussion instrument…While the flesh that used to be Liliza let the percussion-like melody resound…it emitted mana like a slowly swaying heat haze . The flesh kept expanding and inflating in tact with the percussion instrument’s beats .
It’s as if demon and demon were fusing…it continued to transform with billowing, squishy movements .
The heart’s beating linked with the percussion instrument’s beats and something similar to a throbbing sound reverberated in concert .
In the instant the flesh grew widely like a boneless, mollusk-like newt that revealed its guts, it transformed into a human shape that appeared to have another consciousness . Thereupon, dark light surged out through gaps in the human-shaped flesh, forming stripes .
The chunk of meat beneath those dark light rays flew to the side with a wet sound, as if escaping from the human-shaped flesh with the light net crest signifying <Apostle of Light Evil> .
――It split!?
The flesh with the <Apostle of Light Evil> crest on the left side imitated the shape of a person while shrinking a bit . On the other hand, the big, dark-colored flesh, which escaped to the right side, still squirmed .
The small human shape on the left side turned into a woman with golden hair and light blue eyes . A linear tattoo on her forehead extended down to the area around her eyes . She had a small, cute, slender, triangle-shaped chin . The line from her nape across her collarbones was pretty, too . Her bowel-shaped, beautiful breasts swayed . She had a tight waist and butt…eh? A bone tail grew out from her butt .
I had been naturally looking at her butt, but my eyes focused on her tail . Her face is nice, and she’s small and cute, but a bone tail…I wonder what kind of race she’s supposed to be .
However, she donned an expression like a beaten dog, seemingly frightened .
“…I am Purin, I betrayed them . My adventurer friends…” She introduced herself with a voice that trembled sadly like the string of a violin .
Her name is Purin, huh?
Just as I thought so, her face deformed, and transformed…uwahh, this time it’s a man’s face?
He was somewhat exotic with his buzz cut . There was a gash at his eyebrow . He looked my way with his reddish brown eyes . It was a good-looking face, but he possessed front teeth that seemed to have been sharpened with a rasp . He had a goatee, and just like with his eyebrow, there was a gash beneath his right cheek . Given that he also had a scar ranging from his neck to his chest, he must have suffered some kind of a serious injury in his past .
However, I instantly applied mosaics…to the dick growing out from his nether region .
“…I’m Tsuan . A former templar, and a former member of the dark guild Eyes of…hmm, where is this? A black-haired man and a black beast? If I remember correctly, I was…eaten by a bunch of huge teeth…”
The dick bastard, err not that, Tsuan, he says? I guess he belonged to Mad Knight’s 【Eyes of Twilight】 as a former templar .
The face and figure transformed again . This time it turned into a woman with dark skin and silver, twisted, curly hair, similar to the beginning . Looking closer, it might be a milk chocolate kind of skin rather than dark .
On the other hand, the dark flesh on the right side revealed even a lot more, countless appearances . Like a slot-machine that went nuts, it kept changing the form of its face from an excessively strong willed, gaudy face, to a face that was refreshing to look at, to a mysterious, eerie face, like an apparition that changes its face by crossing its arms .
It spoke while changing faces as if playing back a video in an accelerated fast forward mode, I couldn’t make out any face in particular . At times, it turned not into a face, but into a shape similar to large, open jute bags . The contents were medium magic stones, large magic stones, and magic tools?
Oh, wasn’t there a key similar to a Ten Heavenly Evil Statue among them as well?
Then it changed back into a human shape, with the faces continuing to change .
Once those very strange movements stopped while resounding the screeching sound of an old tape, it returned to the woman shape with the dark skin and the silver hair in the end .
Left and right, both produced two identical Lilizas . It looks like I was right about it having split .
“…Eh, what? Why am I over there? Did you possibly remove the parts I absorbed? What’s this about!?” The Liliza, who was formed from the dark flesh on the right side, yelled while creating question or exclamation marks with her hair overhead .
“Rather than absorbed, it’s proper to say that we divided, right, Emissary-sama♪?”
The silver-haired woman on the left side also created a question mark, and called me Emissary-sama with a flirtatious glance…
“Why are there two of the same consciousness with the same appearance!?”
The right Liliza extended her black nails towards the face of the left Liliza, obviously having become hysterical .
“Oh my . ”
The left Liliza also extended her black nails, and both nails intensely clashed in midair . The black nails had offset each other . However, the nails weren’t completely equal . Color-wise, there was a light mixed into the surface of the left’s black nails . There were also other aspects that didn’t match .
A simple version of my <Chain Factor> mark has been carved into a spot on the forehead? Even at her seductive waist area, a big <Chain Factor> tattoo pattern had been engraved, displaying a light hue as if a paper lantern was burning faintly .
“…N-No way…that light mark…”
“Correct, I belong to Emissary-sama♪”
Once the left Liliza looked in my direction with an enraptured expression, she moved her arms as if playing on a piano, and summoned something similar to a bonefish . She placed her butt over the bonefish, and flopped down on it . By the way, the size of her boobs was nothing to scoff at .
I have deliberately made sure to not look at her boobs, but if she’s an ally, I will stare…the nipples being clad with light is definitely something new…
The Boob Committee Meeting…must wait .
“Even <Demonic Bonefish>! Even though I am the third apostle of Evil God Nicross!”
Liliza loudly and shrilly denied reality . However, I sure didn’t overhear this . So she was an apostle of Evil God Nicross, huh? And I also understand that she’s different so far as it goes, but I turn my eyes towards the newly born shining Liliza .
“…An apostle of an evil god, she says? You as well?” I asked .
“Not anymore . My body and soul have completely become your possession, Emissary-sama♪”
“The hell! I won’t accept――” The third apostle of Evil God Nicross, Liliza, shouted with a voice that resembled a scream .
She transformed her silver hair into a single, thick stake, and extended that silver stake, trying to stab the chest of the shining Liliza, the other version of her .
The shining Liliza, who had become my new servant, made the bonefish smoothly swim through the air, continuously avoiding the approaching stake . It looked as though her speed increased once she mounted the bonefish . Is it a sensation similar to a motorbike? I feel like wanting to give riding it a try .
“Nyao?”
Rollodeen, who had watched silently, meowed curiously .
It feels kind of like 『There are two of the same nya』? Or maybe it’s 『I want to eat bonefish nya』?
Under Rollodeen’s and my watchful eyes, the battle between the two Lilizas intensified .
I lightly reflected while observing the situation . As I acquired the permanent skill <Apostle of Light Evil>, the experiment apparently succeeded . I knew that the shining Liliza had completely become my subordinate .
Was a wedge of light driven into the soul of the evil god’s apostle Liliza?
That was my assumption . Based on it, <Spirit Cursing Chain Net> succeeded exactly because that wriggling flesh was in the middle of a metamorphosis . <Spirit Cursing Chain Net> is a skill making it possible to brainwash and dominate monsters, limited to those of low intelligence . Had Liliza finished her transformation, it might have been impossible . Though it might have also worked, seeing how she seemed to be pretty dumb to begin with…
However, that’s just a possibility . It’s a definite fact that the skill forced the soul of Liliza to split up .
Because the flesh that had been accompanied by a dark flash was rather big, the part <Spirit Cursing Chain Net> urged to split off…might have been only a small portion of Liliza, though . Either way, I succeeded in placing a part of her under my control .
In short, it means I stole a part of the third apostle from Evil God Nicross or whatever he’s called with something similar to an absorption, I guess .
Even as I was considering such things, the two Lilizas had continued to duke it out . They caused their black nails, silver hairs, divided arms and a jumble of tentacles to clash against, beat, and knock down each other .
My allied <Apostle of Light Evil> Liliza had less transformations and the remaining meat chunk was smaller, but…she didn’t seem to be all that different in regards to ability compared to Evil God Nicross’ Liliza . Is it possibly an effect of my mana having flowed into her? That might be the reason why the Light Liliza has actually increased her innate power even with less soul-like power .
At that moment, I caught sight of Helme on the left side’s stage . Befitting a water spirit of eternal darkness, she had been creating a water cage to protect the blond woman .
While dependably acting as ordered, she had been watching the situation over here while looking mystified . I can definitely understand her feelings . The silver-haired woman suddenly splits off and then the offshoots fight each other; objectively, it makes no sense .
After I made an eye contact with Helme, putting the intention to tell her, 『Stay as you are, it’s fine』, into it, I shifted my eyes back to the Liliza vs . Liliza battle .
Well then, I suppose I will assist the newly born <Apostle of Light Evil> Liliza .
I summoned my favorite Magic Halberd into my right hand once again . While feeling the comfortable weight of the halberd’s red spear and red ax blade in my hand, I glared at the enemy Liliza as she fought against my allied Liliza equally .
“Rollo, don’t use your fire . I will handle it――”
“Nyago . ”
After instructing my partner, I shortened the distance to the enemy Liliza with Magic Combat Step, and invoked <Chain Spear of the Ray System> from point-blank range .
“Gyaa――”
The third apostle Liliza had her foot’s instep stabbed by the light spear, pinning it to the ground . Her movements are really slow .
She had tried to block the light spear by changing her silver hair, but it hadn’t been in time .
As always, the rear part of the light spear divided, producing a net of light which wriggled like a sea anemone . The light net was expanded, covering Liliza’s instep and thus sealing off the movement of one of her feet .
“Nice work～”
My new comrade, the <Apostle of Light Evil> Liliza did a cartwheel as if to make her dark skin gleam while raising a cheerful voice . However, the speed of her cartwheel was slow . It was kind of difficult to call her performance…magnificent .
While slowly and clumsily braking to finish the revolution, <Apostle of Light Evil> Liliza suddenly pointed both her arms straight at the enemy Liliza . Black nails came out at the ends of those arms from all fingers at once . As if firing a chain attack of rocket missiles that had been placed on a platform truck, she turned the ten black nails towards the enemy Liliza, and shot them all out in one go .
Her body was slow, but the light-clad, ten black claws were fast . The straightly extending nails very deeply penetrated the enemy Liliza’s torso while causing dull, popping sounds, and came out from her back while making a sound similar to flesh being devoured resound .
“――Attacks like these don’t hurt! My foot hurts!” The enemy Liliza said, pretending to be tough, but it apparently didn’t hurt her much .
It looks like the light net stabbing her foot was the one hurting her .
Next Rollodeen tore up the back of her knee with her frontpaw’s claws while running past her sideways .
“Damn, you evil kitty cat!”
The enemy Liliza chased after Rollodeen .
――A chance!
I closed the distance to her in an instant with Magic Combat Step, and after stepping in as if crushing the ground, I extended my right hand, which I twisted, straight ahead as if to tear through the wind, and targeted Liliza’s throat with a <Thrust> I unleashed with my spiraling Magic Halberd .
“It’s because he did it while I was regenerating―― eh?”
The spiraling spear drilled into Liliza’s throat who was preoccupied with something else . The third apostle’s head danced through the air . With a little delay, a voice full of surprise left that revolving head .
“Take some distance . ” I ordered <Apostle of Light Evil> Liliza with a strict look .
“Yes, Emissary-sama♪”
“Nn, nyaa～”
Rollodeen had already gotten away .
And then, without even taking several milliseconds, I held up my left hand overhead, and shot out <Chain> . The chain continued to extend towards the airborne head of Liliza .
While softly and delicately steering the chain, I made it head below the severed head . I won’t make her head explode like Kreuz’ or anything like that .
As if carefully performing a surgery, I just stabbed the lower part of her head shallowly . Next I manipulated <First Gate> while erasing the Magic Halberd in my right hand . I deliberately caused a bleeding from my unarmed, right hand, invoking <Blood Chains Banquet> .
Countless blood spurts similar to capillary vessels covered my right arm in an instant . The leather cloth part of my right arm was naturally in pieces in no time . The blood chain flock wriggled like an aura, mana, or guidance sorcery .
I made those blood chains head towards Liliza’s body . Her headless body created many flesh spear tentacles while transforming into a torso . Those flesh spears clashed against my blood chains, trying to intercept and fight them off, but all of them――“Useless, useless, useless, useless! Useleeesss――”
As if backed and pushed by those “useless” calls, the flock of blood chains, which had changed into a deep sea shark raising a growl as if to counter her word, devoured Liliza’s flesh tentacles . Her headless body was swallowed up by the tempest of blood chains .
From a part of Liliza’s flesh, which kept disappearing as if melting and having its flesh and bones crushed, large and medium magic stones fell out . Next, even items dropped to the ground . Plant seeds, long and thin bone needles, a demonic tail that seemed to be combined with a black crape myrtle’s tortoiseshell…a golden mask that was widely opened at the nose and mouth area, a corset armor decorated with angelic inlays and an obsidian at the chest, a leather armor that allowed one to see the waist and butt since it only had a black cloth apron, cylindrical arm protectors combined with bracelets, a jet-black robe bordered with a golden color, a rock heart (?), an ornament of two big tigers, a two-layered waist belt, a skeleton decoration for that belt, a bound book with silver, decorative rivets that emitted mana hanging down from the belt, and various other items kept falling to the ground .
I was cautious to not break those . And then my eyes caught something like a Ten Heavenly Evil Statue falling out as well .
“Guuuuu, what’s thiiiiis――” The enemy Liliza, who had become head-only, released an empty voice .
Trying to resist with just her head, she extended the silver hair growing on her head towards her neck, attempting to remove the shallowly stabbing <Chain> . The silver hair strands’ movements looked like those of snakes . She was just like Medusa who appeared in Greek mythology .
However, no matter how many of her small hair strands attacked, the chain didn’t budge . While entangled by the hair strands, I retracted the firm chain towards the factor mark on my left wrist .
Liliza’s head was carried over to my left hand in an instant . I grabbed her silver hair just like that, and lifted the head up, matching my eyes with hers .
If she had been normal, her pupils should have widened, but I guess she was an apostle and a monster . Does she simply lack any feelings of fear?
“…Yo, your body has been completely destroyed by my blood chains, but you can survive with just your head, can’t you?”
“Humph!” Liliza didn’t reply to my question .
She manipulated the silver hair which had tried to remove the <Chain> earlier, designated my left arm as target instead, and moved her hair . Accordingly I dealt with it by having a part of the blood chains streaming out of my right hand face off against the silver hair which tried to attack my left hand .
Once the silver hair and blood chains clashed, the silver hair evaporated as if running into a blood chain volcano . The silver hair strands, which released a peculiar stench, only kept disappearing fleetingly .
“…I think any further resistance is futile . So, let me confirm, but you’re Evil God Nicross’ apostle, and the monster that fought against my combat slaves, the tiger beastwoman and friends, trying to eat them, right?” I glared at the severed head .
“…”
No answer while glaring, huh?
“Emissary-sama, it’s as you say . My past memories are vague, but…some are left . ”
Instead, my <Apostle of Light Evil> Liliza supplied me with the answer .
“Tsk, you shitty, split-off fake! Don’t prattle about unnecessary crap…” The enemy Liliza spit out while making her saliva fly .
In that case, I guess it’ll be fine to just listen to my <Apostle of Light Evil> about the memories she recalls . It doesn’t look like I’m going to hear about her past from this weakened evil god apostle Liliza .
Now then, I guess I will have her disappear then, as my nourishment…
Just like that, I mercilessly bit – not kissed – into the head of the evil Liliza . There wasn’t much blood, but I sucked it up .
She didn’t scream in fear . Even if she apparently lacked feelings of fear, I could respect that part .
――Farewell, evil god’s apostle .
――I focused on <Drain Soul>
The instant I sucked out the soul, the head turned into a dried-up skull, and disappeared while clad in light . At the same time, my body was covered by a dazzling light while I experienced a feeling of exhilaration .
Different from usual…I had a feeling as if my blood was boiling a bit, and I knew that I had acquired dense mana . Is it because this evil god apostle had absorbed many souls?
However, as I apparently didn’t acquire any skills or occupations, it didn’t match up to the time when I sucked a part of Evil God Steertop .