The Corruptor (3)

Whether fortunate or unfortunate.

The girl who burst in, Lilia, didn’t kill Lost immediately.

Though she held him with killing intent and strangled his neck, that alone wasn’t enough to satisfy her anger.

“Guh…!”

What was essentially torture began.

Like a predator playing with its prey after the hunt.

Crunch! Crunch!

Lilia grabbed one of Lost’s arms while applying pressure with her foot.

Sounds of something being torn apart and broken echoed through the air.

Being resistant to torture, Lost didn’t scream.

But that very fact struck terror into the fallen hunters around them.

The one inflicting pain as if trying to rip off an arm. The one enduring the pain without making a sound.

The sound of a human being broken, made even clearer by that silence.

“Ah, I think I understand now.”

After tormenting Lost for quite a while, Lilia suddenly smiled as if having realized something.

She wasn’t keeping Lost alive because of her principles.

Of course, she didn’t want to kill others.

After all, she understood the weight of life more keenly than anyone.

Though pain is momentary, death is eternal. No matter how painful and agonizing something might be, it will eventually be okay, but death can never be undone.

“Now I know why I can sense Father’s traces on you.”

She hates death.

But she hates the priests of the Pantheon Temple and demons almost as much.

The reason she hadn’t killed Lost yet was because she sensed the influence of ‘corruption’ on him.

She knows her parents. And how powerful that force is.

She couldn’t understand how someone could be alive while carrying such power within them.

That’s why she had held back.

Until now, she thought there might be some reason to keep him alive.

She even considered the possibility that the being before her was a messenger sent for her.

But the man said nothing. He didn’t even know her parents’ true names.

Then there’s only one answer.

“Father must have felt the same way I do now – simply killing you wouldn’t have been satisfying enough.”

As much as she hates them… no, even more than her, the Corruptor Eremus hates the Pantheon Temple.

He is the very embodiment of the Pantheon Temple’s dark history. The result of their age-old practice of turning a blind eye.

‘This bastard…’

An excuse to justify hatred.

Lilia was creating excuses to kill Lost.

Even in his hazy state, Lost could clearly sense that.

“So that’s why you’re suffering like this? Right?”

Lost is dying. She too can exercise some of the same authority as Eremus.

Accelerating corruption is nothing to her.

“Does it hurt? Your insides must be twisting? Can you feel your organs melting from within?”

Lilia asked while stomping on the fallen Lost. With each stomp, cracking sounds came from his body and he vomited black blood.

His insides were melting.

The result of physical impacts stimulating the authority of corruption.

Death approached Lost’s vision step by step.

The eyes that had been observing the opponent’s abilities gradually dimmed in the midst of pain.

And at that very moment.

“Ouch!”

Slash!

Lilia’s leg that had been stomping on Lost was severed. While she might have received minor wounds, this was a serious injury unlike anything she’d taken even while facing numerous hunters.

Was it because the strike was unexpected?

‘No.’

Lilia contemplated in that split second as her leg was severed.

She examined what had attacked her. Black hair and white clothing.

The movements weren’t particularly impressive and the weapon wasn’t special either.

Upon confirming the appearance of Linea Spirin, the girl with fox ears, Lilia could only tilt her head in confusion.

‘What’s this?’

The reason she got injured was because she had to deal with too many unexpected attacks at once. One of her abilities was turning her body into mist.

While she couldn’t wrap her entire body in mist like her parent, the probability of receiving such a fatal wound was extremely low.

Originally, she only got injured when counterattacked after making an attack herself.

Most were just scraped knuckles or torn feet, with exceptions like Kruud who could pierce even through mist being rare.

Then was this attack one of those exceptions?

“Hmm.”

Lilia instantly transformed the bleeding cross-section into mist and reattached her severed leg.

Slash!

And instead of immediately pulling back the leg connected by mist, she swung it like a whip to deliver thorough retribution.

“Guh!”

“Huh?”

After kicking the seemingly defenseless opponent from behind, what she discovered was that the man she had been tormenting had somehow disappeared.

It wasn’t that she was defenseless.

“I don’t understand…”

She had deliberately exposed her back.

To protect the man from her.

The burning anger subsides.

She hates when people die. Because she truly understands what that means.

That was also why she had run away from her parent’s side when they faced death.

The fear and sense of loss that comes from someone precious disappearing forever.

Every time she tries to kill someone, that sensation resurfaces and makes her hesitate.

She thought this time would be different, but even when facing a priest of the Pantheon Temple, one of the sources that made her this way, she thought she could break free from that restraint.

“They must be precious to you?”

Seeing such actions makes her heart soften.

“…No. To be honest, not to that extent.”

“Then why? Is there enough value there to risk your life protecting them?”

“There isn’t. I’m regretting it even now.”

Linea huddled her body as she felt raindrops falling on the wounds on her back that looked like they’d been torn by beast claws.

It hurts. It hurts so much.

If only she had stayed back as Lost said. She did this at the most dangerous place, at the most dangerous moment.

“Lost isn’t a good person no matter how generously you look at it.”

“And yet?”

“Well…”

If one were to ask whether Lost has enough value for her to risk her life protecting him, that’s certainly not the case.

He’s not simply a good person.

He engages in instigation and doesn’t hesitate to subtly manipulate people.

But he’s not a bad person either.

“I threw a tantrum before. I’m trying to think of this as payback for that.”

“What a strange one.”

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

She had consistently tried not to care about anything beyond her own objectives.

Even following Lost was just to uncover his secrets.

She approached Lost wearing a mask of calculated lies.

It was all for her own sake. That’s what she kept telling herself.

But in the end, she couldn’t maintain that.

Though she frowned and gave bitter smiles, perhaps she enjoyed the things Lost schemed and carried out.

“But what can I do?”

When they tried to save Pinocchio in Nidavellir. When Lost was about to turn back feeling responsible.

She stopped him.

Even knowing things would have been better if she had followed Lost’s opinion.

Why did she do that? Why did she act in a way that seemed to oppose the other’s opinion?

Until now, she had only thought about making a good impression on Lost to uncover his secrets.

The answer was simpler than expected.

“This is just who I am.”

Simply because she didn’t want that. She couldn’t be as cold as she thought she was.

She acts on momentary impulses. The humanity she had been denying even to herself was surprisingly deeply rooted within her.

“A doctor to the end, I suppose.”

She is of the bloodline of House Spirin, a prestigious family of doctors.

Perhaps the mindset of becoming a doctor to save people was dissolved into the education she received since childhood.

Yes, if we need reasons, we can attach as many as we want.

“You asked if there’s enough value to risk my life protecting? Unfortunately, as a doctor, I don’t calculate such value. If I can save someone, I save them.”

Linea stood between Lost and Lilia, holding her dagger.

Being able to sever the leg was just luck.

She had been silently watching for an opportunity, and in a miraculous moment, the line visible to her eyes perfectly intersected with the leg.

A beastkin’s physical abilities surpass humans. The same goes for their senses.

She had received all sorts of support within the huge fence of being from a count’s family.

Even if it was just self-defense, she had learned techniques from renowned instructors.

So she can fight.

“Step aside.”

“…”

“If you don’t step aside, next time it’ll be your neck instead of a leg.”

Her maximum threat. She warns with a chilling voice, dropping honorifics.

It’s a bluff. In the end, it’s just a bluff.

Even piling up all the conditions mentioned earlier, there’s no chance of winning.

Several of the hunters lying around nearby would likely be stronger than her.

Severing the leg was a fluke. But it was an achievement no one else had managed.

She forces wariness from her opponent by using her oddity.

“Heehee.”

“…”

“Heeheeheehee!”

But it didn’t work. Her opponent wasn’t someone who would be swayed by such threats.

“If you can sever my neck, try it.”

An oddity that can’t be ignored? So what?

“But even if you do that, I can’t guarantee it’ll kill me?”

It’s just an oddity after all.

She has fought countless times.

Just the number she’s taken down since entering Rubia exceeds a hundred.

Among them, wouldn’t there have been some who tried to bluff?

“And don’t you think your words don’t add up?”

Thud!

She lightly steps on the ground. But the result was anything but light.

Lilia closed the distance to Linea in one step and swung her fist wide.

It was an action purely for attack, without concern for the opponent’s counterattack.

And that action itself was proof that Lilia paid no mind to Linea’s threats.

“Ugh!”

Linea blocked Lilia’s kick by raising her arm but rolled across the ground with a short groan.

Her arm broke from that single hit.

She couldn’t even think about counterattacking. Even though the opponent openly exposed their neck.

“Aren’t you a doctor? Then shouldn’t you also be unable to kill people carelessly?”

“…No.”

“Then? Can you kill?”

“If I can’t save them. Then it’s our job to make it as painless as possible. I’ve killed as many as I’ve saved.”

“How wonderful!”

Thud!

Lilia’s follow-up strike accurately lands on the stomach of Linea, who was drooping with one arm.

“But you lack the strength to match that.”

Linea kept coughing while lying face down on the ground.

Blood flows from her mouth and her body trembles uncontrollably.

She lacks experience.

Even with one arm already broken, she couldn’t think about how to deal with that.

“Seeing your wonderful determination, I won’t kill you, at least not here.”

Lilia had already abandoned her plan to kill Lost.

She wasn’t in the mood. Of course, if he waves that irritating light in front of her eyes next time, that’s a different story.

So she was thinking of taking minimal measures to ensure she wouldn’t have to kill him next time either.

But she couldn’t move.

“I said I won’t kill you?”

Because of Linea who was holding onto her ankle while enduring.

“…That’s too obvious. It means you can do anything as long as you don’t kill. Why would I let that happen?”

Linea’s breathing, which had been constantly coughing up blood, was returning to normal. She was managing the pain.

“…Every single one of you is just irritating.”

Lilia stomped down on Linea’s arm that was gripping her ankle with her other foot.

“Let go.”

Along with a creaking sound, Linea’s arm turns blue. Blood seeps from her wrist, torn and pierced by pieces of the shattered ground.

Just as the strength was about to leave Linea’s hand gripping the ankle.

“Raaaaaahhhhh!!”

Another interferer appears.

Lilia looked in the direction of the roar with an expression of disgust.

It was the green monster she had been lucky enough to take down with one hit earlier.

She could see him charging at her in a manner befitting his monstrous appearance and roar.

“…”

Lilia’s expression was cold. She was no longer in the mood to play.

Black mist began blooming like flowers around her.

The power of ‘corruption’ that she had been holding back until now spreads out.

“Kuh…!”

Crrrrrack!!

Titan charges in with all his might while letting out a roar.

The same situation as their first encounter happens again, but from the opposite side.

Lilia, who was blocking Titan’s charge, couldn’t withstand the force and was pushed back while scraping the ground.

Even after starting to use the power of corruption, it was strength beyond expectations.

Only after being pushed far from their original position could Lilia finally stop Titan’s charge.

“Linea Spirin.”

Titan called Linea’s name, which he had never uttered before.

It was a sign of acknowledgment.

Even if she had joined with suspicious motives, he couldn’t help but acknowledge what she had just shown.

“Take Lost and get away.”

The moment his full-power attack was blocked, Titan instantly realized this wouldn’t be easy.

At first, he was caught off guard. But the opponent had already taken down several strong fighters including Kruud.

Now that she had even blocked this surprise charge, there was no chance of winning.

Then the strongest and most steadfast one among them should stay behind.

“Impressive.”

At Titan’s almost commanding words, Linea staggered to her feet and immediately shouldered Lost.

Though she felt sharp pain from her back where Lilia had kicked and stomped her, she moved without regard for it.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Lilia ground her teeth at the sight of the two. Why would they go so far? Hadn’t they themselves said it wasn’t worth it?

They said he wasn’t precious enough to sacrifice their lives for.

They said it wasn’t worth it.

“Then why are you doing this!!”

That’s why their actions felt like they were just trying to interfere with her.

It was unpleasant, feeling as if they were trying to deny everything about her.

Lilia easily pushed away Titan who had been trying to hold her back and rushed toward Linea who was fleeing while carrying Lost.

“Ugh?!”

Just as she was about to tear apart that defenseless back, Lilia had to stop her movement once again.

There was someone blocking her way.

Not someone strong. A being that seemed so fragile they might crumble just from a light touch.

“Wow, it really worked.”

Snow-white hair and red eyes reminiscent of a rabbit.

She could tell instinctively.

This girl was the weakest person here. She would die just from the slightest touch.

That’s why she was blocked.

She exploited Lilia’s hesitation about not wanting to kill people.

The chip in that gamble was her life.

“Great success.”

Claire, who should have been taking refuge with Anne, showed a sneer.

The brief moment she earned.

That alone was enough for what she could do. Claire stuck out her tongue before quickly running away.

Lilia didn’t bother trying to catch Claire.

She had no intention of killing her in the first place, and she wasn’t confident in controlling her strength against her.

Everything just felt cold.

A world where the painful groans of hunters disappear beneath the sound of rain.

Lilia felt as if she was left alone in such a world.

An unreasonable loneliness wrapped around her body. And that seeps out as the authority called corruption.

“He said that one is a king who leads everyone. That’s right.”

Titan declared to such a girl.

“I’m not trying to save him because he’s special. I’m the special one. Isn’t a great king one who can lead even such a sneaky and worthless person?”

Golden patterns began appearing on his green skin.

“Such a king shouldn’t force his determination onto his people.”

Titan revealed the power he had refused to show even in the face of death.