Chapter 97 – Corruption (4)

“Aaaaaaargh!”

Isabel screamed as if her throat would tear. It was due to the evil whispers striking her mind and the boiling black blood. Soon, she wrapped her arms around her body, bent her waist, and began to roll on the ground.

“Isabel!”

“Could it be…”

Adele and Cara quickly turned their heads. Under the blue full moon, a single head, charred black and melted, was floating in the sky. It emitted purple light from its eyes and was relentlessly muttering with its lips. The more it did so, the redder Isabel’s imprint became. Her screams also grew louder.

Cara grasped the situation in an instant. And before she could even use a spell, her curly red hair fluttered.

[Isabeeel! You trashy bitch! I saved you when you were dying and even gave you overflowing power, and you betray me like this? Do you think I’ll—Ugh!]

The wavy-patterned spear lodged into the screaming witch’s head. When Cara looked back, Belloc, holding a hood and a few pieces of women’s clothing, was running here like an arrow. That sprint took only a moment. He quickly passed the two and reached the witch’s head. Soon, he violently trampled the head that was trying to fly and struggle again. An eyeball popped out, and bone fragments and brain matter scattered.

Tenacious bastard. Is she dead? Belloc kicked it roughly, then slowly took his foot off. The witch’s remains had turned to mush. However, something like a blue mist was gradually creeping over her traces. He quickly stepped back.

“She’s trying all sorts of tricks.”

His sixth sense hummed with a warning. The warrior experience he had built up so far also warned him. That the bizarre phenomenon unfolding in front of him was the trick of a damned spellcaster. Instead of approaching that mist, Belloc contemplated whether to summon the power of lightning and burn it from afar. But soon, he realized that force had been depleted due to the battle just now. ‘Dammit. This has become troublesome.’ As he clicked his tongue, looking at the rune sword that had lost its light,

“Get down! Belloc!”

The spell of Cara, who was behind him, exploded. A bright red burning fireball fell into the gaps of the mist. The power of the mist seemed to decrease slightly at the rising heat of the flames, but it soon wriggled at a terrifying speed, forming some shape. Cara, approaching his side, swept her hair back and spoke.

“Shitty witch. What kind of bizarre spell is that again?”

“It seems you don’t know either. Where is Adele?”

“She is holding onto Isabel. Since she keeps wounding her own body, self-harming.”

At the scream that had not stopped since earlier, Belloc merely turned his head slightly.

“Aaargh!”

Isabel, with black veins bulging all over her body, was scratching or stabbing herself like crazy. No matter how outstanding her regeneration was, it would certainly be dangerous if she stabbed her neck or heart.

“Isabel! Please! Calm down!”

Adele tried to stop her by hugging her from behind, but she was only dragged around by the overflowing devil’s power instead. At that moment, the gathered mist formed a complete shape. It was a face the group also knew well. The high witch of Schola. The one who corrupted Isabel. It was Harmoa. Bearing the form of a blue phantom, she quickly flew up into the sky before she could even open her mouth to speak. This was because Belloc, who had approached in the blink of an eye, swung his sword.

Bastard. She is fast. While his greatsword kicked up useless dust, the witch, who had become a phantom, fluttered her long tail and floated in the air. Soon, looking down on the group, her purple eyes blazed. She spoke. It was a whisper that dug into the mind, characteristic of a phantom.

[You dog-like bastards… Do you have any idea how much of our Magic Tower’s budget and manpower was invested in this task? Do you know what you guys have just done?!]

“Shut your mouth! You bitch! What are you raving about, you crazed bastards trying to destroy the world? And you dared to do that to Isabel? Looking at you, it seems you’ve become a phantom. You won’t even be able to rest in peace with that dirty soul of yours! Because I’ll capture you and show you exactly what a truly horrific experiment is!”

After talking back harshly, Cara whispered in Belloc’s ear. It was a very fast voice.

“Belloc. That bitch is currently in the state of an amorphous demon. You know it too, right? You’ve seen it in Hamelin.”

He nodded. Monsters with hazy phantom bodies. Bastards against whom physical attacks did not work. Cara spoke once more.

“Of course, you might be able to cut her down with your sword, but you have a task to do. You have to stop Isabel. Because as long as she is alive, Isabel will have no choice but to be controlled.”

“You’re saying you and Adele will face that monster, and I will deal with Isabel. But… what if she runs away?”

If so, wouldn’t Isabel remain that bastard’s toy forever? At Belloc’s concern, Cara let out a smirk. She spoke.

“Looking at that bitch’s crazed eyes, that doesn’t seem likely, but… Adele and I will do our best to stop her. No, I will definitely kill that bitch. Trust me! Adele! Over here!”

Cara shouted loudly, calling Adele, and the two soon rushed at the phantom while releasing their respective spells. Leaving them behind, Belloc approached Isabel. She was a mess. Her hair was disheveled like a ghost’s, and her completely naked body was covered in dust and black blood. He violently grabbed her thrashing forearms. Was it due to the brutal force contacting her body? Or was it for some other reason? Isabel was startled. Opening her eyes hazily, she spoke.

“Belloc?”

“Yes. Just bear with it for a bit. It’ll be over soon.”

Belloc’s face was dyed orange. Soon, a series of massive explosions echoed. It was due to the holy power Adele unleashed. He embraced Isabel, tightly binding both her arms while turning his head.

[Aaaaargh!]

Toward the witch floating in the air, Adele was also flying through the air and swinging her whip. Seeing Cara on the ground chanting a spell with shining eyes, she seemed to have used a levitation spell. When the flame of holy power was added to the whip enchanted with a powerful spell, the phantom, having lost its physical body, could not exert much strength.

“Die!”

Harmoa’s phantom body grew even fainter. The witch fell to the ground like a kite with its string cut. At this rate, it seemed it would end quickly. At that moment, the witch’s eyes shone menacingly. Even while falling to the ground, she pointed a finger and indicated Isabel.

[Even if I die… you shall never be happy. I won’t even let you return to your companions. Just become an insane monster.]

A purple glow emitted from Harmoa’s finger. The imprint engraved on Isabel’s body boiled like lava. It was to the extent that the heat was transmitted even to Belloc, who was holding her.

“Argh!”

Isabel shook her head violently, struggled, and raised her gaze. The knight clad in black armor was looking down at her. In his dark eyes, which had seemed indifferent, worry was filled to the brim. Before Belloc could open his mouth, Isabel’s lips sputtered.

“Bel…oc… I, ugh. Have a… request. Will you… grant it?”

“I refuse. Because I can guess what you’re going to say.”

At his firm tone, she smiled. It was not a devil’s laugh, but the smile of the elf lady she had shown in the past. She spoke.

“I’m… begging you. I don’t want to… hurt you. Please… me.”

The shaking of Isabel’s body grew larger. Soon, with cracking bone sounds, her nails, which had at least maintained human form, began to change into those of a beast. She gritted her teeth. Suppressing the rising growl of a monster, she spoke with effort.

“Please… kill me. Please. Before I… lose my mind—argh!”

With those words, Isabel lightly tapped Belloc’s chest. It was a weak, feeble touch. He, of course, shook his head. If he killed a companion with his own hands, his sleep would surely become very rough. That was equivalent to a day in this shitty world becoming even more taxing. At that moment, the trembling of her body vanished like a lie. Her turbid eyes flew open.

“Ah… no…”

Black smoke exploded with a bang. Belloc rolled on the ground as if hit by a battering ram. Soon, while breaking his fall as he was accustomed to, he habitually drew his sword. Cutting through the hazy smoke, something rushed in like an arrow. Immediately after, sparks flew. Between the screeching greatsword, a freezing cold light was visible. It growled lowly, revealing its fangs.

Grrrrr…

Even larger and sharper nails, leathery wings that tore through her shoulders, a triangular tail sprouted from her buttocks, and a size that easily exceeded three meters. Looking at Isabel, who had now become a true monster, Belloc furrowed his brows. It wasn’t out of disgust, fear, or desire for experience points.

How do I turn her back? Maybe because the base was good, she looks decent enough. What if she never returns to normal? Well, should I put a leash on her and drag her around? Such were his thoughts. He spoke.

“Clichés like \”Get a hold of yourself\” won’t work, right?”

Kyaaaaak!

The entity that had been Isabel spread her leathery wings wide and swung her claws wildly. It was an attack devoid of any regularity, carrying only the instinct to tear the opponent to pieces. Belloc placed his blade against the storm of blurry afterimages. He blocked the downward strike with the flat of his sword and the thrust to the flank with the edge of his blade. The tail shooting between his legs was also blocked by the sword’s crossguard.

His feet dug deep into the ground. Veins also bulged on the back of his hand gripping the handle. ‘This is no joke.’ Indeed, that bitch Harmoa had reason to be confident. The strength and speed of the transformed Isabel were among the top of the demons he had faced so far. ‘Right, that’s true, but…’ Belloc tilted his head and suddenly let go of his sword’s handle.

With the support holding up the demon’s strength gone, the steel pillar flew off with a thud. She smiled widely. It was a smile full of wildness, ominously revealing fangs and jagged teeth. ‘Not bad.’ At least Belloc thought so. Isabel must have thought so too, as she quickly reached out. Nails sharp as daggers shot out like lightning. She looked ready to rip out his heart and devour it at any moment. A moment later, her expression distorted. It was because of the steel gauntlet gripping her pale skin.

Kyaaaaak!

She shrieked and twisted her entire body, but Belloc’s physical body did not budge. His face was the same. He was expressionless like a stone statue. He spoke.

“I didn’t want to do this either… but fists are probably better than a sword.”

Belloc’s left hand swung like a hammer. Isabel’s face snapped back. However, her momentum did not decrease. She also thrust her remaining left hand, tail, and the leathery wings on her shoulders simultaneously. Belloc quietly stared at the spikes shooting at a speed invisible to the eye. Soon, moving only his left hand in a blur, he deflected all of them.

The moment she was flustered, *Thud.* Her vision blurred and stars appeared. It was due to his headbutt. Isabel spat out blood along with jagged teeth.

Ugh.

Belloc did not stop. He considered Isabel’s strength and speed, and even calculated her body’s durability and regenerative power. Soon, using both hands and feet, he unleashed a barrage. Her beautiful face was crushed violently, only to regenerate again. Squeezing into that gap, another fist exploded. Her thigh snapped, and her calf was dislocated. The leathery wings and horns, symbols of a devil, also broke with a crack.

He beat her like that until the monster Isabel collapsed in exhaustion, and until the evil power flowing through her body was rooted out. The black blood that had flowed endlessly gradually decreased. The beastly shriek also changed before long into a clear and clean voice.

“Ah, aaah.”

Did Belloc’s simple-minded plan work?

[Kuaaaa…]

“You fucking bitch! Say it after me: \”I’m dead!\” Because I’ll show you what hell is!”

“Adele, wait! You mustn’t kill her that easily. We have a lot of things to ask this bitch! And leave the torture of souls to me. After trapping her in a flask containing a special secret formula, I will inflict a pain like eternity!”

Or was it because Harmoa, the culprit behind all of this, was subdued by Cara and Adele? Isabel felt the evil will that had bound her soul and body disperse.

“Ah…”

Her vacant mind woke up, and her body’s sense of pain also revived. Something damp and cold was poking her back. Just as she thought, ‘It hurts,’ she felt a sensation of floating above.

Isabel opened her closed eyes. Under the white moonlight, a black knight wearing armor with strange patterns was looking at her. No, looking closely, she was held in his embrace. He spoke. For some reason, it was a voice that sounded only gentle.

“I was a bit rough, wasn’t I?”

“…”

Isabel sputtered and then smirked. Soon, looking around once, she gently wrapped both arms around Belloc’s neck. His dark pupils, nose, and lips entered her view in detail. Even their breaths felt extremely close.

“Wait… this is a bit strange?”

While Belloc’s pupils shook and he was flustered,

“Yes. A lot. You were very, very rough.”

Isabel’s lips covered his.