Whooooooooosh!
I hear something slicing through the air.
It’s the sound of an object with a definite mass being propelled by a powerful force.
It’s not quite a sonic boom level of noise caused by a supersonic object, but just that sound alone makes it clear that something is flying at high speed due to strong force.
And what is that object, you ask?
Well, what else could it be?
It’s me.
BAM!
“…Damn…”
Ouch, that hurts.
Seriously, it hurts.
After becoming the Mangja Seongnyeo, I’ve experienced physical pain so few times that I could count them on one hand, but let me tell you, this one really hurts.
Even without any physical sensation, I could feel the pain!
‘What the heck, what’s going on…’
Okay, let’s sort this out.
The Small Olgania was corrupted and swallowed by the Big Olgania, which has become one with the rotting World Tree.
Yujin and I stood up, holding hands and feeling like we were “temporary allies for now!”
Plans after that?
What plans could there be?
The hero and the saint are invincible. Anyone who opposes them can only be defeated!
Honestly, I’m not the type to think ahead.
In my previous life, as long as Menelapie or Teresa handled things for me, I just did as they said and it usually ended in victory.
Anyway, my half-baked plan is basically this:
Yujin and I, as the Hero and Saint, will team up to suppress the corrupted Olgania, utilizing my miracles and the skills of the hero to save her from her corruption.
If possible, I’d also like to save my lovely Small Olgania and the suffering Big Olgania with her corrupted “mother bag.”
I’ve always preferred the bigger ones.
The moment I laid eyes on the large Olgania with her huge spirit bags, I decided I’d save her.
Isn’t it common knowledge?
If one has been suffering for a long time from a Malicious Entity and the rotting sap of the World Tree, it can be inferred that they might have lost their intellect and reason, and are now driven by primal instincts.
“But Yujin.”
“What?”
“What were Olgania’s abilities or characteristics when she was alive?”
“Ah.”
I decided to ask Yujin about the enemy’s power level just to see if I could understand the situation better.
“Olgania fought alongside me against the Demon King until the very end…”
“No, save the detailed story of the fake hero for later and just get to the point.”
“…She used the power of the wind…”
Shh!
“…She’s a Spirit Fighter…”
As I turned my gaze from Yujin’s suddenly pensive expression to the presence I felt behind us, I saw…
“Eh…?”
I found myself face to face with Olgania, her crimson eyes gleaming right in front of me.
Actually, we had been locking eyes for a while now.
But she had charged at me so fast while I briefly turned my head that it was a whole different story.
And just then…
[Spirit Fighting Technique – Ruling Strike]
FOOOOM!!!
“Wha, gah!?”
“Shia!”
Fortunately, Yujin used some kind of ability to cover me, blocking Olgania’s attack; otherwise, I’d probably be hanging from the ceiling with my head stuck in it.
Anyway, I got hit by Olga’s fist and flew all the way up to the ceiling.
With the tentacle I pulled from my waist, I had to caress my sore face while clinging to the ceiling.
“Ouch…”
Wow, her punch is incredibly powerful.
It was different from simply smashing everything down with overwhelming strength. There was something peculiar about the way she hit.
The moment I was hit, I felt a tingling sensation as if the power of the wind spirit was swirling inside me, trying to crush my skin and bones.
Of course, the torn skin and bruised bones returned to normal almost immediately.
But with that strike, I understood.
‘Strength… similar to mine. Technique… perhaps Menelapie-level… Spirit Power? No idea.’
I’m not particularly versed in magic or spirits, so I couldn’t tell.
Anyway, Olgania’s punches are stronger and more deadly than I imagined.
Given that I’m technically a revived Mangja Seongnyeo with decent resilience to ordinary pain, I could handle it, but if a regular human took even one punch from Olgania, they’d probably die instantly.
Not to mention, a skilled hunter would likely suffer severe damage from the spirit power intertwined with Olgania’s punches, feeling like a hurricane swirling inside their body, leaving them incapacitated.
“Wait, how does an elf even know martial arts…”
And not just a faux imitation; the skill in her strikes is not average.
Of course, it doesn’t quite make sense.
The elves I know usually adeptly wield spirits in their spirit arts or use swords and arrows, and they predominantly use hit-and-run tactics rather than engaging directly.
If they did learn martial arts, I could imagine it would involve dodging or countering rather than brute strength and overwhelming attacks.
But that punch was all about smothering the opponent with sheer force.
“Ah… speaking of which, Olgania was a companion of the hero, wasn’t she…?”
I don’t know how similar they are in reality, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Olgania, who was the hero’s companion, had the strength comparable to either Menelapie or Teresa.
Not to mention, she’s the offspring of the World Tree.
Having condensed and received the blessings of the spirits and the Daesanrim, she must possess a perfect body capable of crushing any silver spoon around!
Given that along with the Demon’s fragments, it’s no wonder she’s powerful.
In so many comics or subcultures, it tends to be the norm for a protagonist-turned-corrupted companion to be way stronger than before, and that seems to be exactly Olgania’s case too.
Bang! Thwack! Pow!
While I, stuck hanging from the ceiling, looked down at Olgania, Yujin dodged and countered Olgania’s strikes with remarkable agility.
It seemed like Yujin, once a former companion, had a decent understanding of Olgania’s fighting style, as she skillfully dodged her attacks even while looking risky.
Yujin is a special ability user who realizes falsities, but she’s not just any S-grade hunter – she’s a true hero.
Her basic physical abilities are more than enough to handle Olgania.
Boom!
Thwack!
Kaboom!
“Quick, help me! Isiaaa!!”
Oh, I guess she wasn’t fine after all.
I mean, even I wouldn’t want to get hit directly, but watching punches create shockwaves against walls and the ground, yeah, that looks terrifying.
“I’m in pain.”
“I know you’re completely fine!”
“Tch.”
“Did you just hiss… uh!?”
Amidst it all, Yujin managed to bend herself to dodge Olgar’s incoming punch.
At that moment, the wind spirit wrapped around Yujin’s dodge caused the walls created by the roots of the World Tree to shatter.
Crash!
Yujin and I stared at the broken wall and then made eye contact.
“…….”
“…….”
Well, it seems this isn’t an appropriate time for joking around.
Whoosh!
Immediately, I kicked off from the ceiling and charged toward Olgar.
[…!]
Spurred on by our fighting, Olgania seemed to finally notice my presence as I shot down like a cannonball, her crimson eyes filled with dark tears fixating on me.
She seemingly pulled her arms back, and I could see something coiling around her fists.
What the hell? That’s a storm!
Has she really lost her mind and intellect?
It’s pretty surprising that she was able to manifest such great power driven by instinct alone.
“Olga! You probably can’t hear me, but…!”
[Soul Transfer – Soul Ground]
“Don’t blame me later!”
In that moment, Yujin clenched her hands in the air, and numerous hands manifested beneath Olgania to pull her down.
They were the hands of every monster Yujin could remember, from goblins to minotaurs, orcs, and even unknown bugs and tentacles rising from below to constrain and drag Olgania, limiting her movements.
At first, Olgania tried to break free with strength alone, but as dozens… no, hundreds of hands pulled from the ground, it seemed she was starting to tire.
“Good job, Fake Hero!”
Alright! With the binding completely in place, I just need to smash her head with my mace once…!
[Spirit Fighting Technique – Typhoon Fist]
“Eh…!?”
“Crazy…”
Then, when Olgania raised her long legs and struck the ground, the earth shattered, demolishing everything, including the illusion Yujin had conjured.
Wait, is this even martial arts?
It feels like a master of internal and external power straight out of a martial arts novel.
Boom!
Thanks to that, Olgania managed to pull back just before I could smash her head, forcing me to swing my mace aimlessly in the空.
“Hey, Fake Hero.”
“…What?”
“Do you have a good plan?”
“Well, wasn’t the plan on you?”
And then it hit me—this Fake Hero named Yujin doesn’t seem to have the best of brains either…
“Wow, you’re seriously useless. I miss Menelapie…”
“Hey, weren’t you the one who confidently stepped up here?!”
“So are you scared? The name of the Hero is crying.”
“Why am I being called out for being scared here?!”
The truth is, we were at a disadvantage here.
We’re up against a once-legendary Spirit Fighter called Olgania, who’s not only a companion of the Hero but also has the added power of the Demon King’s fragments.
While Olgania is attacking us with lethal intent, we really can’t bring ourselves to fight her against her; our goal is to save her, not to destroy her!
I realize we’re basically raising the difficulty level here on our own, but what can we do?
The Hero and the Saint are always the ones fighting against such unfairness!
…I honestly kind of regret it.
I should’ve just purified Olgania before she even got up…
“Hmm, for now, I’ll take the lead. You stay behind, Fake Hero.”
“Isn’t that usually the opposite?”
“Because if the Fake Hero gets hit once, they’d be done for.”
“…..”
Yujin couldn’t argue with that; she took a step back with a rather embarrassed expression.
It wasn’t that Yujin’s physical endurance was poor, but rather that the power of the corrupted Olgania, mixed with the fragments, was ridiculously overwhelming.
Still, it’s not entirely hopeless.
Given that Olgania just dodged my attack, it means my [Wand of the Dead Goddess], imbued with Spirit Power, is threatening both Olgania and the fragments inside her.
I recalled my [Wand of the Dead Goddess] and clenched my fists.
As I raised my Spirit Power, the tentacles at my waist glowed brightly, and I narrowed my gaze at Olgania.
“Here I go.”
“Got it.”
Bang!
In an instant, I dashed right toward Olgania. She flinched slightly, perhaps not expecting my speed, and shook her shoulders.
That’s right. I’m pretty fast too—are you surprised?
THWACK!
“Surprise, motherf*er!”
Ah, right, it seems Olgania didn’t have a mother.
Regardless, I pounded my fist forward without hesitation.
Of course, it was blocked.
Olgania’s fist, filled with wind, flowed like water and deflected my attack.
[Soul Transfer – Loss]
I noticed that Olgania was trying to do something with her spirit power at the same time, but thanks to Yujin’s actions from behind, it seemed Olgania was struggling to use anything other than her physical abilities for the moment.
It seems like Yujin’s ability restricted Olgania’s spirit power to some extent, while I also can’t use lethal miracles.
Good. So she can only use her fists.
And just like that, we started exchanging blows.
Smack!
Pow!
Thwack!
Thwack!
While I hadn’t learned any formal martial arts, I had lived for over sixty years in my previous life and fought countless battles.
I might not be able to perform anything sophisticated enough to be categorized as true martial arts, but when it comes to a fist fight or strength competition, I had confidence I wouldn’t lose.
Meanwhile, Olgania, with her immense spirit power, was trying to implement something, and Yujin, every time she saw an opportunity, would grab the spirit with her ability to disrupt Olgania’s spirit power.
It really goes without saying—she’s not the Hero for nothing.
She knows when to get things done!
Smack!
Olgania’s fist barely grazed my face, but thanks to my Spirit Power, I could feel my claws ruffling Olgania’s long hair.
But it wasn’t just that; as our fists collided, the shockwave ruptured the air, shattering the ground and the ceiling in no time, causing the rotten sap of the World Tree to spill over us.
The two of us stood our ground, fists clashing, like an ongoing battle of pride.
There’s a saying that the dead need their own way of being comforted.
What’s so special about that?
You pour out as much as you want. Release everything and vent all your pent-up frustrations— that’s comfort!
THWACK!
Alright.
I figured I had the advantage in sheer resilience.
I deliberately took Olgania’s punch and twisted under it, trapping her fist between my armpit, and retaliated with a punch of my own.
Olgania, reacting to that, moved to counterattack with her other fist…
CRACK!
“…..!”
“Olga, don’t forget about me.”
[Soul Transfer – Loss of Body]
At that moment, Olgania’s hand froze.
“Do it now! I can’t hold this for long!”
“Got it!”
What I learned later was that Yujin’s ability made Olgania perceive that her arm was missing for just a moment.
As a result, Olgania’s fist, meant to hit me, ended up halted in mid-air while I took the chance to grab Olgania’s neck and slammed her down to the ground.
THUD!
Alright! Now, if I just mount her and crush her…
Thwack!
“Gah!?”
One kick broke four of my ribs.
What kind of power is this!?
I mean, I’d probably win in direct contests and arm-wrestling…
But even considering that, the strength of Olgania, bolstered by her spirit power, is truly remarkable.
“Of course, that’s not going to cut it.”
[!?]
“You should’ve aimed for my head! Then I would have been incapacitated for at least a few seconds…!”
Despite suffering a broken rib from my kick, Olgania didn’t stop; she was wide-eyed as she looked at me on top of her.
Perhaps she thought I’d stop because of the pain, but sadly for her, I’m the Mangja Seongnyeo.
THUNK!
[….ugh!]
In an instant, my tentacles, imbued with Spirit Power, coiled around Olgania’s wrists and neck.
Normally, if it were just regular tentacles, she could easily tear them apart with her strength, but thanks to the spirit power, they secured her down tightly.
“Now just stay still, will ya?
That way, I can… touch your breast…!”
What? Why is that a problem?
Don’t misunderstand—this is just to extract the Demon King’s fragment lodged between Olgania’s breasts.
How do I know?
Because the malicious scent is really strong—if I don’t know that, then that’d be strange.
CRUNCH!!!
[Ugh, aahhhhhhhh!!!!]
It seems that it was painful for Olgania as well, as she began to struggle violently.
The Demon King’s fragment had embedded itself deeply within her body, so she might’ve been experiencing pain akin to tearing flesh.
I’m sorry, just a little bit more…!
[Spirit Desecration – Explosion]
“…..!”
Then, Olgania’s eyes seemed to darken completely, and suddenly, a massive explosion erupted from her body.
Thick, black liquid infused with horrible malice spread out in all directions like shrapnel, causing me to fly back from the epicenter.
“Isia!”
“I’m fine.”
While my injuries were immense, they weren’t so painful, and instead…
“Slurp… Yum…”
Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve had a taste of malice, hasn’t it?
Delicious.
The tentacles also chirped in delight.
Yes, malice.
While living off a hearty elven vegan diet in the Elf Great Forest and munching on World Tree Leaf Pancakes, I barely remembered that I’d neglected to properly consume malice by hunting monsters for over a week.
Those World Tree Leaf Pancakes dulled my appetite for malice.
This thick and concentrated malice is just what I need to fill me up.
“Isia?”
“…Yujin, I’m counting on your support…”
Yujin’s expression changed slightly as if she sensed the shift in my aura.
But then again, it’s not surprising—she’s the Hero.
She quickly understood and wrapped her hands with illusions once more.
Ah, my stomach… feels so good.
“Ahh… Slurp… That’s good.”
It tasted like the rotten sap of the World Tree!
The sap inserted into my shoulder and flowing through my body was incredibly delicious.
So I devoured it all.
Gulp.
Ahh, good. Now that I’ve powered up…
AAAHHHHH!
Olgania stood back up amidst the decaying sap of the World Tree.
However, the difference from before is that the dark Demon King’s fragment was halfway dislodged from her large chest.
Alright, time to get serious.
With a full stomach, I leapt back toward Olgania.
Seems she was too focused on me to even process my move.
[Soul Transfer – Sensationless]
Actually, what happened was that she didn’t realize I was sneaking up on her due to Yujin’s illusion.
Great! We actually make a pretty good team, huh?
SMACK!
“….!!!”
It seems Olgania never even guessed I’d attack her, wrapped in the rotten sap of the World Tree.
Yes, this suffocating, decaying malice would incinerate or necrotize anything it touches, much less Yujin.
But what can you do?
To me, malice is a delicious dish—a feast.
Especially if it’s rotten sap from the World Tree oozing out of an elf’s body.
Mmm, sweet nectar from an elf… this is precious!
[…ugh, oh…!]
Although Olgania struggled to resist, the truth is, there was no way she could fend me off now that I was stronger from eating that malice.
It’s a done deal.
With this level of Spirit Power, I could easily subdue Olgania.
[Waiting – Wand of the Dead Goddess]
[….!]
“This is your repayment!”
Since Olgania had already been fixated on my [Wand of the Dead Goddess], I knew just how threatening it was to the Demon King’s fragment.
After all, this was the very mace that smashed the Demon King’s head in my previous life!
“Demon King bastard, it’s nice to finally meet you!”
Brandishing the mace firmly in hand, I swung down at the fragment on Olgania’s chest.
“Now bugger off for good!”
CRACK!
[!!!!]
Alright, smashed it.
That Demon King’s fragment shattered easily, like it wasn’t even there.
Gagging…!
“Olga!”
But from now on is where the real challenge begins.
With the fragment crushed, its subject—Olgania—would lose a tremendous amount of life force.
And the malice, which served to sustain her life, was flowing through her veins.
Since that fragment was now gone, Olgania’s form would revert to that of a regular elf, but the malice consuming her would start devouring her body as well.
In such a state, applying the miracle of healing to restore her body would yield only pain without any beneficial effect.
“What are you doing…?!”
So, all I had to do was keep it simple.
“Hah!”
CRUNCH!
[Huh, uhh…!]
Having bound Olgania tightly by using my tentacles to prevent her from thrashing, I sank my fangs into her neck.
The smooth yet hard flesh of Olgania broke as the rotten sap and malice flowed into my mouth.
Simultaneously, I started utilizing the miracle of healing, coloring the areas where the malice was consumed with Spirit Power.
Mmm, is this what it feels like to be a vampire?
[Hah, aah… Hahhh…]
Slurp, suckle…
[Ugh, ohh…!]
Well… let’s ignore the slightly naughty atmosphere.
Yujin was blushing brightly, hiding her face under her illusions.
After all, there I was, sucking away merrily while looking like I enjoyed myself.
Slurp…
[Ahh, uhh… ah…!]
This is purely a healing process.
○○○○○○
What came after?
Nothing special.
The double combo of the Hero and Saint is indomitable and divine, and anything that can contradict them—the Demon King and its scraps—will lead to certain annihilation.
From Yujin’s perspective, the once-Mangja Seongnyeo doesn’t resemble any saint or companion she’d known; however, saints and heroes are always inseparable.
Heroes serve as symbols of hope, while saints perform salvation and miracles, but in the end, they are human too and have their shortcomings.
Thus, heroes, saints, and companions work together to support one another’s inadequacies in effort to be the world’s hope.
While I swore my loyalty to Menelapie with my soul, I certainly don’t mind Yujin either.
Though in my eyes, Yujin still had plenty of weaknesses.
Her physical power may be decent, but in terms of wielding it with experience and perspective, she was obviously lacking.
Still, I’d say she deserves to be called a hero after all this.
“So why are you crying?”
“I’m not crying.”
Aw, you little liar.
You try to act all cool with your expressionless face and indifferent voice, but come on.
It’s clear as day—your lies don’t fool me!
“Do you think I’d sob over something like this…”
Ah, the lying liar.
“I didn’t think I would meet you again.”
Liar.
You might have no evidence, but you believed you would see me again.
“I’m not glad at all. It doesn’t make me sad either.”
That’s false too.
So very glad. So very sad you could cry.
Yujin looks kinda cute when you see her this way, huh?
If you’re that simple as an adventurer, I’d say there’s no other way than to fill yourself with lies and bravado.
I wiped the malice from my lips and gazed at the scene before me.
“Happy endings are the best, you know.”
Indeed, happy endings are always the best.
No one dies.
Everyone is happy.
There’s no destruction—just harmony.
That’s all I need.
…But honestly, I wouldn’t mind having another full meal of malice.
What? No? That’s going too far?
