Chapter 95 – Corruption (2)

Too late. She is coming here right now. It was fragmentary information, but that alone was enough to grasp the situation. Cara drove it home. It seemed to be for Adele, who was flustered.

“Isabel, who was kidnapped by the witches, has already become a devil, and she is currently entering this city. Along with the culprits who made her that way.”

“Th-That’s…”

Adele’s dark eyes shook violently. She also knew that the situation could turn out like this. Since she had known that Isabel’s situation was not good when they interrogated the witch named Amanda in Altanis. However, the feeling when a vague anxiety became reality was a different matter.

“…”

A temporary silence enveloped the inn. She was still a companion who had fought alongside them risking her life. They had drunk together or stayed up all night together. Adele, who was still young, was shocked in her own way, and Cara was also wiping her mouth with her sleeve, breathing heavily. In the end, Belloc was the only one unaffected.

His mouth was firmly shut without a single twitch, and his sharp eyebrows and eyes were also calm. His surprisingly expressionless face made it look as though this current situation was nothing to him. But that wasn’t it. Rather than lingering in self-reproach, he was trying to prepare for the upcoming situation.

How could he save her? How could he slaughter all those witches? He was calm. No, he tried to be calm. Whether it was the original personality of this body or the effect of the skills he possessed, it didn’t matter. In a situation like this, this kind of coolness was the best weapon. He spoke.

“Nothing has changed. We kill those witches and retrieve Isabel. That’s all.”

“But she has already become a devil! Don’t you know what that means? Becoming an entity of the underworld means… her very way of thinking will be heavily distorted! She will hate all surface creatures and crave their blood and flesh!”

Cara spoke with a voice dripping with regret. Perhaps she did not want to face Isabel who had become a monster. Or she seemed afraid that she might kill her with her own hands. Belloc shook his head. Staring intently into Cara’s trembling brown eyes, he spoke.

“Then will you leave Isabel like this? Will you just let her be used by those bitches who turned her into a monster?”

“That is…”

When Cara trailed off, Belloc spoke in an even stronger tone.

“Even if you and Adele ended up in the same state, I wouldn’t have given up on you. She became a devil that craves blood and flesh? Then we can just tie her up first and find a way to turn her back. Since this world is filled with strange mysteries and secrets. Am I wrong?”

Cara bowed her head. Her red hair flowed down, and a soft whisper was heard.

“…No. You’re right. I’m sorry. I was only trying to run away. The Isabel who became a monster… I didn’t have the courage to actually face that horrible sight I peeked at through the spell. It was a cowardly excuse.”

At that moment, a double-edged axe was suddenly swung. The round table shattered with a crunch, and a steel boot trampled the wooden fragments roughly. She, the Paladin of Helena, Adele, stomped the inn’s floor while panting. Soon, spitting on the ground, her eyes blazed. Adele spoke.

“Lord Belloc is right. I will kill them all. Every single one of those bastards who made Isabel like that.”

Right, let’s think simply. Kill and retrieve. He spoke.

“According to you, Cara, they were at the entrance of the city until just a moment ago. But since some time has passed, their position must have changed. For what reason did they come back here?”

The answer came quickly. The corpses piled up in the oasis. They probably intend to do something using those. In response to Belloc’s opinion, Cara also answered in a calmer tone.

“With several evil warlocks, thousands of corpses, and resentment, the more time drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for us. Because prepared mages and spells are always terrifying. Let’s move quickly.”

The three of them threw open the inn door. The sunset that had dyed everything bright red was long gone. Only pitch darkness hung in its place. Even the moon did not rise, hidden by clouds.

Belloc smiled as he looked at the ruined city that exuded a desolate atmosphere. It was because he couldn’t imagine that those spellcasters, who only did research in backrooms, would have better eyes than him. ‘Perfect. Great for a surprise attack.’

Lowering their postures, they moved their footsteps carefully. The vanguard, of course, was Belloc. In his eyes, which possessed beast-like vision, the surrounding sights—which would have appeared as only grayish shadows to others—were clearly visible.

Inside the collapsed buildings were heaps of broken chairs and tables. On the main street, there were scattered stalls, rotting vegetables and fruits, and broken plates, seemingly left behind mid-trade when they were attacked. The three kept moving, avoiding the chaotic obstacles littered with traces of death. As they walked, Adele spoke. It was a very quiet whisper.

“It was a good thing we tied the camels far away. But… would they not know we are here?”

“If they knew, wouldn’t there have been a reaction already?”

Cara chimed into their conversation.

“They might not know… but the possibility that they know and are preparing is also high.”

“Is it because of Isabel?”

Just as they had obtained information by interrogating a witch, they too would be able to utilize Isabel. But Isabel, who had fallen alone, wouldn’t have known where we were. While Belloc wondered, Cara spoke, nodding.

“Of course, they might have heard things from Isabel. On top of that… think about what we’ve done in Arian. Including that monster called a demon, we’ve killed manticores and two of Schola’s witches. If they were ordinary mages, they would have had a communication crystal ball or two. That connection was cut. Do you know what this means?”

“They suspect, but are not certain. Is that it?”

“Correct. They might think we died from the side effects of the portal spell, or moved to a completely different location. The world is that wide, after all. But just as they were about to feel relieved, contact with their nearby companions suddenly cut off. And that contact was with a force easily capable of destroying a city.”

Cara frowned, perhaps finding the clicking sound of her leather boot heels annoying. Soon, stepping even more cautiously, she spoke.

“If I were Schola… if I were those dirty witches, I would lie low even at a single anxiety-inducing factor like this. Because they wouldn’t dare confront a warrior who defeated an Archdevil. But the fact that they are still lingering here means they either have something urgent, or… they have enough confidence to face you.”

“It is as that woman said. Warrior.”

At the suddenly heard voice, the group’s movements stopped. Belloc’s gaze shifted to the sky. It was flapping its leathery wings, looking down on the group with a single fist-sized eye. Setting aside its bizarre torso, not a single sound of wingbeats was heard. Thanks to that, they were late to notice. ‘Shitty sorcerer. What kind of magic is this again?’ The monster’s pupil slid shut. It seemed to laugh. It spoke.

“It was a good thing I cast a sentinel eye. I had my doubts, but to think you were actually alive.”

Adele spoke, gritting her teeth.

“You dirty witch… What did you do to Isabel?!”

“Comradeship to retrieve a companion, how touching… But did you know? She no longer considers you friends. She probably thinks of you merely as… prey to be devoured.”

“You bitch! Will you shut that mouth!”

Adele was about to throw the axe in her hand but barely held herself back. She then swung the whip at her waist, but the monster flew swiftly, evading her attack.

“I also wanted to leave this place if possible. I didn’t want to meet you guys either. But leaving behind the resentment of the thousands who died in this city was just too wasteful. Because once she absorbs this, Isabel will become even stronger.”

The eye flitted around for a long time afterward, mocking them. ‘Strange. He isn’t the type to just stand and listen to this? He should have thrown his spear long ago…’ Cara looked at Belloc with a questioning look, but he was only tightly gripping the handle of his sword. The appearance of a helpless warrior… Could it be? Cara understood Belloc’s intention then. He was acting right now. To hide a fact they didn’t know.

‘ .’

Indeed, who would expect a swordsman to summon lightning? Even when she had seen it with her own two eyes, it was an unbelievable sight.

For him, who had always shown off his power clearly and smashed whatever blocked him, it was uncharacteristic behavior. Yet Cara felt a deep relief at his fox-like behavior instead. It meant Belloc was taking this incident that seriously and was grinding his hidden dagger. And this would soon become a sharp blade to pierce the hearts of those witches. ‘If so, there is only one thing for me to do.’

“I want to show you the transformed Isabel as soon as possible. Once you know what state she has become—Argh!”

The lightning shot from Cara’s hand burned the monster’s eye. Leaving behind the falling ashes, Cara, who had generated sparks in her hand, shook her wrist. Soon, she winked at Belloc. He replied with a smirk and moved his feet once again.

Across the dry desert night air, something other than the smell of soil was mixed in. It was a fishy smell of water. And that was due to the blood and filth flowing from the corpses. Beyond the ruined main street, atop the contaminated oasis. Using the piled corpses as a cushion, a woman sat firmly. Since the clouds had vanished and the moonlight shone, her figure was clearly visible without filter.

Grey skin that looked pale beyond white like a corpse, and two horns rising like those of a goat. And indigo-colored eyes that scattered a turbid light without filter. She. The fallen elf. The devil created by Schola. Isabel opened her mouth.

“It’s been a long time, everyone?”

Adele’s eyes bulged at that casual tone. Taking a few steps forward, she spoke.

“Isabel! Are you okay?!”

Isabel smiled faintly. Then, stretching, she spoke.

“Of course. I’m very… very good. I feel so refreshed, I could fly. Ah. But…”

She slowly stood up and toyed with her stomach. Soon, bending her waist, she firmly grabbed the arm of a corpse piled on the ground. As she pulled her hand, the deceased’s remains tore away easily. Holding the corpse’s arm in one hand like meat, Isabel laughed once more.

“I’m sorry. Is it because the experiment finished not long ago? I’m so hungry.”

She opened her mouth wide and took a bite of the corpse’s arm. Her red lips, contrasting with her pale skin, chewed relentlessly. Even her slender throat gulped. Looking at that ecstatic expression, it was as if she was chewing steak. It didn’t take long for Adele, Cara, and Belloc’s faces to freeze like stone, and for the human arm to be reduced to nothing but bone fragments.

“It’s not enough. Shall I eat a bit more?”

Isabel sucked even her fingernails that were sharp as awls, and touched her belly regretfully. At that horrific sight, Adele’s footsteps halted abruptly. Cara’s eyelashes trembled before she squeezed her eyes shut.

“I’m sorry, Isabel. If only we had come a bit sooner…”

When Cara lamented, Isabel opened her eyes wide. It was a face as if she had received some shock. However, that expression disappeared quickly. She laughed. It was a self-mocking smile that only moved the corners of her mouth. She spoke.

“Yes. Everything… all of this is too… late. Fallen to the devil’s mana, I am no longer an elf, but merely a monster that devours humans. And… Lady Harmoa of Schola is my one and only master.”

As she placed her hand on her chest and muttered quietly, applause rang out. It came from behind the mountain of corpses where Isabel stood, from the roofs and interiors of half-destroyed buildings. Soon, figures clad in black robes appeared one after another.

There were easily over ten of them, and behind them, hundreds of desert demons that the group had faced so far were hanging in clusters. One of those witches moved. It was a woman with wrinkles around her mouth, wearing a slightly more luxurious robe. The woman slid behind Isabel and touched her face. She looked as if she were admiring a work of art.

“Lady Harmoa…”

While Isabel’s eyes trembled, Harmoa spoke.

“Now. What are your thoughts on appreciating my work? It is quite excellent, isn’t it? Beautiful? It’s too early to be surprised. Because there are plenty of forms I haven’t shown you yet.”

Harmoa burst into a mad laugh. Along with it, the witches and demons standing behind her also began to cackle. When the high-pitched voices and metallic scraping sounds mixed, the ruined city vibrated. It was enough to send shivers down one’s spine. But he smiled. At the fact that he could at least communicate with Isabel, and… that those bastards were gathered together so nicely.

Belloc reached toward his waist. The spear engraved with a strange wavy pattern trembled in response to his will. It cried out more violently and strongly than usual. When the physical strength he had built up so far was added to this, it felt like he could split anything. He spoke.

“Even if my brain melts due to depleted mental power, I don’t care. You bastards messed with the wrong person.”

“Belloc. The warrior who possesses strength far exceeding a giant. The one who slaughtered Astaroth and his subordinates with that overflowing power and valor. The Archdevil Slayer. Yes, it is certainly a great feat. A monster that cannot be matched by blades. But…”

Harmoa spoke, licking her lips.

“Did you think we wouldn’t prepare for you? Do you think over ten mages will stand still like scarecrows and get hit by your blade?”

When the leader of the witches, Harmoa, smirked, Belloc’s hand and shoulder left a blurry afterimage. The king’s spear flew like a ray of light.