The sky was clear.
It was an ironically unfitting weather for the situation.
Or rather, would it have been fitting under normal circumstances?
If it weren’t for some insolent presence, we could’ve enjoyed a picnic or something.
“Haa~ Finally feels like I can breathe easy.”
Looking at Earl inhaling deeply as if celebrating being alive, I nodded in agreement.
“Yeah.”
“Seeing such pure mana like this is rare. And to have it so densely packed in that cramped space… I thought I was gonna suffocate and die.”
“Tskering.”
Is it really that bad?
True, comparing it to something even called mana is absurd, but…
I don’t think it should make him look this pale.
“The commander’s a monster, so you wouldn’t understand the feelings of a normal person. I barely held on because it was me. Most mages would’ve fainted long ago.”
“Then why didn’t you become an Archmage if you’re so annoyed?”
“Ehh, damn it! I shouldn’t be the one saying this…”
That kid also seems to have gotten more vulgar compared to before.
Am I rubbing off on him?
In a bad way.
As if reading my glare, Earl quickly changed the topic, pointing at the High Priest.
“Anyway, is it okay to relax like this? Shouldn’t we hurry up and crush them already?”
“We’ll go without needing your urging.”
I moved forward, passing by Erias.
Her water flask had disappeared somewhere along the way.
Erias, looking quite exhausted, spoke.
“I’m getting tired of doing this. Don’t leave the rest to me.”
Despite her weary appearance, there was still strength in her voice.
She would’ve collapsed if she were truly this drained.
I calmly nodded.
“It’ll end soon.”
– Whoosh!
Opheucus, sensing my resolve, transformed into his knuckle form, melting into shape.
Since I’m fully lucid now, I want to feel the proper sensation in my fists unlike last time.
[Divine Power: Forced Harmony]
Hyunwon Ilgi Gong
My original technique combining mana and aura.
A dark-colored energy swirled around my fingertips like a whirlwind.
Tensing my legs for immediate action, I asked the wretched figure before me.
“Anything else you wanna bring out?”
“…Guh…”
At the sound of my voice, the High Priest seemed to regain some awareness.
Whatever price he paid for borrowing divine power, his state was pitiful.
His once glossy pink hair looked bleached and frizzy.
The dress designed to allure men was shredded beyond repair, practically leaving her naked.
Even a homeless person would wear better clothes than this.
“Looks like you won’t be able to seduce any man with this look. Pathetic.”
“You cursed anomaly…!”
Shaking my head at Libido’s gritted teeth.
“What? Didn’t expect this kind of result?”
“Shut up! If I wasn’t a slave to the stars, I’d’ve turned you into an offering long ago!”
“Ah, that makes sense. True words.”
Nodding, I lightly swung my fist.
[Robert Martial Arts: Iron Fist]
The iron fist wrapped in murky energy tore through the air and struck Libido’s leg.
Pang!
The sound of air rupturing echoed.
“Kyaahh!!!”
A horrifying scream rang out sweetly around us.
Though I missed the tactile sensation, watching her roll on the ground improved my mood.
“Guess you’re pretty messed up, as Erias said. You couldn’t even dodge that.”
Covered in dirt and wriggling like a worm, Libido approached me.
“Are you thinking of engaging in hand-to-hand combat now? Keep flailing like before. Isn’t that right?”
“Kuh… ugh…”
“Please, for the sake of it, put up some resistance. It feels really bad bullying someone weaker.”
“C-Ck… hahaha…”
Muttering, Libido suddenly burst into laughter.
Has she gone mad?
The fact that Black Wolf almost died because of her made my stomach boil.
Unaware of my anger, Libido smirked.
“Pitiful how arrogant you are. Fate has already been decided.”
“Only knows how to seduce men, huh? You talk too much. If that Archmage had been the High Priest instead, things would’ve been tougher.”
If only that bastard hadn’t been there, none of this suffering would’ve happened.
Black Wolf would’ve crushed his skull by now.
After laughing for a while, Libido glared fiercely at me.
“Even if you kill me, your fate won’t change. In the end, we will be the ultimate victors.”
“Got it. Sure, sure. If it helps you achieve mental victory, I’ll take it.”
But will you take my punch?
Fwack-
“…”
This time, I got the proper satisfaction.
Just, Libido didn’t let out the same scream as before.
Seems like she cut off her nerves with whatever strength she had left.
It’s a trick I use sometimes, so I could easily guess.
“Really boring. How did you seduce men? Though, prostitutes don’t need to be interesting, do they?”
“You think cutting off nerves will stop the pain forever?”
Apparently mistaking it.
Even if I’m not as skilled as Blackwater from the Blackwater unit, I know a thing or two about torture.
You don’t just learn to kill on the battlefield, you know.
I extended my left hand and grabbed Libido’s head.
[Dark Magic: Phantom Pain]
It’s been a while since I used this magic.
“Th-This is…!”
Seems like they noticed it’s heresy.
I asked with a sardonic smile.
“Ever heard of phantom pain?”
“Kiiaaaaah-!!!”
A scream as if drawn from the soul erupted.
Certainly, this magic wouldn’t work on someone in perfect condition, but this guy who’d already accepted death had no means of resistance.
The effect of Phantom Pain is simple.
It gives artificial pain similar to how amputees feel pain in their missing limbs.
There were barbarians born without pain sensation, so I learned this magic for them.
Of course, the intensity of pain is up to me.
And the pain I gave Libido this time… well, judging from this scream alone, you can probably guess, right?
Actually, it wasn’t that strong.
“Haak… haak…”
Since it could turn someone into an idiot with a slight mistake, I stopped at an appropriate level.
Still, extracting information would be difficult if he became an idiot now.
“Huuu…”
Yet, the guy was in such a pitiful state that saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Even though I cast it, it’s truly a terrifying magic.
“Hey. Pull yourself together. If the High Priest dies from just this, what’ll we do?”
Slapping him brought focus back to his eyes.
For such a notorious High Priest to be this weak against pain…
I’m scared to use other magics, fearing he might break.
“Tr, Trigger point… black magic… how…?”
Shaking and muttering, Libido made me tilt my head.
Is it that surprising that I use black magic?
When you guys made a pact with the Demon King…
Anyway, I’m curious now about what this “Trigger Point” is.
“Hey. What’s this Trigger Point? Why do you keep calling me that?”
“Like I’d tell you?”
“Fine then, don’t.”
“Wait, hold on…!”
Summoning mana casually, Libido hurriedly shouted.
Seems like he doesn’t have much tolerance for pain.
I mean, just giving him a taste of being stabbed and burned a few times with a knife…
He’s showing such a pitiful face as if it’s the end of the world.
Shouldn’t this be something you yawn through?
The barbarians who suffered at my hands would’ve laughed at this sight.
“Hurry up and talk. My patience is running thin.”
“A trigger point… refers to beings that appear when the balance of the world breaks.”
“Speak plainly. Stop beating around the bush.”
“Alright… simply put, it means a hero-like existence.”
Raising the mana-charged hand, those words finally came out.
“Hero? Am I a hero?”
“That’s not it.”
At the firm denial, I frowned.
Is he still not coherent?
“If not, then what? Hurry up and say it or…”
“You… ■■■…”
At that moment, a strange wind brushed against my cheek.
『It’s not yet time.』
Zzilrtt-
“!”
An unbearable pain surged through my body.
A sensation as if my nerves were being severed by a dull blade made me instinctively squint.
Quickly composing myself, but Libido had already caught on to something, widening her eyes.
“You… you’re cursed.”
“What are you talking about?”
While responding indifferently, cold sweat trickled down my back.
Why does the curse flare up now of all times?
Not only did I fail to hear what he said, but I also exposed a weakness.
Why is the dormant curse acting up now…!
“That must be the vessel’s… c-cough… yes. That’s how it happened. You mentioned being a disciple. Close enough to absorb another’s curse.”
A glimmer of madness entered Libido’s previously fearful eyes.
“Damn it…!”
I hastily summoned aura.
Thoughts of gaining information vanished.
Before he does anything, I must end his life immediately.
Just as my instinct-driven fist was about to reach Libido’s head…
“I will curse you even after death.”
The ominous last words pierced my ears.
Simultaneously, my fist hit the closed eyes.
Whack-
With a sound like a watermelon bursting, blood and brain matter exploded.
If only that had been the end…
“Gurgh…!”
A thick darkness swept toward me.
A pain squeezing my heart lingered for a while.
As if the spirit of the dead had possessed me.
