Chapter 10: Until now and from now on

The sledgehammer struck the ground with a sharp metallic clang.

In the dimly lit alley leading to a four-way intersection, two demons blocked our path.

The first was a flower-type demon, its head resembling a giant bloom that spewed thick, hallucinogenic mist. Thorned vine whips slithered from its body, snapping through the air with terrifying speed. But their wind-up was easy to read—predictable. The real threat was the pinkish fog pouring from its petals. Unlike the flower-mimicking mist blanketing the city, this was far more concentrated. Fighting at close range meant constantly purifying the air.

The second was a jellyfish-type demon, its gelatinous form hovering just above the ground, tendrils hanging like dripping ink. It exuded a dense black smoke that absorbed sunlight, shrouding its movements. The tentacles were sluggish compared to the flower demon’s whips, but they weren’t the real danger. From its pulsating core, it spat a thick, black sludge—corrosive, consuming anything it touched.

In raw combat power, neither matched the manta-type demon we fought in Velapoli. But power wasn’t the only thing that mattered. These demons had tricks.

Demons don’t speak, but they aren’t mindless. They’ll use ambushes, deception—even turn people against each other. They’re born from humanity’s worst emotions. That means they might have abilities we haven’t seen yet.

I knew what the flower demon was capable of from the original story. The jellyfish, though? That one was an unknown. Beyond its smoke, sludge, and tentacles, it could have more up its sleeve.

I exhaled slowly.

Then, kicking up the head of my sledgehammer, I rested it on my shoulder.

Overthinking would only slow me down. Right now, I needed to focus.

I pushed off the ground—

"Yuri, left!"

"Got it!"

Yuri didn’t hesitate. He raised his greatsword and lunged toward the jellyfish demon while I rushed the flower demon head-on.

"Left" meant "I'm leaving the left to you." I needed him to hold out—just until I finished this.

"I’ll crush it myself!"

There was logic behind my choice. Yuri could handle himself, but purifying hallucinogenic mist while fighting? That was another matter. I had finer control over holy ether. If it was difficult for me, there was no telling how much it would affect Yuri. His main weapon, the holy silver Claymore, was built for close combat—a bad match for a foe that manipulated the air itself.

There was another reason, though.

A personal one.

This flower demon had shown me an illusion of someone precious. That was unforgivable.

Spinning my sledgehammer, I closed the distance.

The moment I entered its range, the demon reacted.

A thick cloud of mist erupted from its head, rushing toward me like a tidal wave.

"You think I’ll fall for that again?!"

I skidded to a stop, swinging my sledgehammer down hard. The impact shattered the cobblestone beneath me, sending a spray of jagged stone fragments into the air.

For a human, that would’ve been lethal. But against a demon? Just scratches. The flower demon’s body immediately began regenerating.

But damage wasn’t the point.

The stone shards were infused with my holy ether.

"O Lord—"

I raised a finger, steadying my breath.

"Primordial earth—"

The demon’s whip lashed at me, but I twisted aside.

"Take up thy sword—"

Sensing its failure, the demon swept its vine horizontally, trying to catch me mid-dodge.

But I was already moving. I kicked off the ground, launching into the air.

"Smite the wicked!"

The incantation completed, a pulse of holy ether surged from my body, bending reality itself.

The flower demon recoiled, sensing the shift. Its tendrils snapped toward me—

"Holy Cliff!"

The scattered stone fragments erupted into jagged rocky blades, impaling the demon from all sides.

It let out a shrill, creaking noise as it writhed.

This was why I held the rank of an upper-tier exorcist. Not just because I could imitate 101 "miracles"—

"Follow-up! Release!"

—but because I could master them.

The rocky blades embedded in the demon glowed, their holy ether igniting from within. A second later, they detonated.

A blinding flash.

A concussive force.

Anyone could recite an incantation from a book. Recreating miracles wasn’t the hard part. Even those without holy ether could substitute with holy water.

But in a real fight?

Choosing the right miracle in an instant—executing it at the perfect moment—was what separated me from the rest.

That was the foundation of my strength as an exorcist.

The flower demon let out a distorted screech as its body twisted unnaturally, its insides breaking apart from the damage.

Ggi, gigigigi—

But it wasn’t dead yet.

"You're... way too stubborn...!"

I swallowed back the flicker of panic rising in my throat.

Yuri was fighting an upper-rank demon alone. For a split second, the thought flashed—I need to finish this and help him—

But I forced it down.

Yuri never said he couldn't do it.

So I had to trust him.

Because he's my partner.

Even if no one else believed in him—I had to.

Two lives, shared between two people.

That's what it meant to be partners.

So—

Right now, my focus was here.

Take down this flower demon!

Pshhh—!

"Tch...!?"

Pinkish mist sprayed out—not just from the demon’s main body, but from its severed limbs as well.

Its "children" were scattered across the city—illusion-generating terminals. They weren’t independent. They were extensions of its body. Meaning, even when severed, the demon could still control them.

The stems twisting at my feet were no different from the flowers infesting the streets.

But—

I charged straight through the mist.

The demon hesitated—maybe it hadn't expected me to push forward.

The hallucinogenic fog wrapped around me.

But illusions wouldn’t work. Not now.

A thin layer of raw holy ether coated my skin.

Not converted into a "miracle"—just pure energy, clinging to me.

And then—I released it all at once.

The mist dispersed instantly.

I couldn't pull this off reflexively, but against a predictable attack? Easy.

One step forward.

My ether-enhanced body crushed the cobblestones underfoot.

The holy silver sledgehammer swung back—

The demon’s thorned vines lashed out, trying to block.

But that wouldn’t stop me.

"HAAAH—!"

The hammer smashed straight into its head.

A full-powered strike, infused with holy ether, obliterated the demon’s form—tearing through its defenses like paper.

Head destroyed.

And in that instant—

The demon’s body swelled grotesquely.

"Wha—!? What the—!?"

Red petals collapsed inward. The seeds mutated, twisting into a massive, pulsing fruit—veins bulging across its surface.

But the demon itself—its leaves, its vines—was already crumbling to ash.

I had killed it.

Yet the fruit kept expanding.

A chill shot down my spine.

Experience screamed danger.

Instinct howled.

"Oh shi—"

I realized it a second too late—

An upper-rank demon’s last-ditch attack.

Condensing every ounce of its remaining power—

Into a single point—

And detonating.

It didn’t care about surviving.

It only cared about taking me down with it.

The fruit exploded.

Hyper-concentrated demonic fluid burst outward, flooding the alley.

There was nowhere to dodge.

Less than a second before impact—

My mind accelerated.

What do I do?

Use my original "Miracle Sign"?

No.

I promised Yuri I wouldn’t.

A defensive miracle?

No time to chant.

Then—

Light flashed.

Diamond-shaped barriers materialized in front of me.

Holy Shroud—a mimicry miracle that repels evil with sacred cloth.

But I hadn’t chanted.

Silent Casting—a technique that replaces incantations with raw will.

Weaker. Less precise.

Maybe a fifth of a full incantation’s strength.

But better than nothing.

If the choice was between doing nothing and trying anyway—

I’d take the failure.

"Guh—!?"

The demon’s corrosive fluid slammed into the flimsy barrier.

The impact was softened.

The purification process weakened the acidic properties.

But the sheer mass remained.

And it hit me head-on.

My feet left the ground—

"Ghk—!?"

I crashed into the wall.

A sickening crunch—me or the stone?

My vision blurred.

But I didn't black out.

If I hadn’t thrown up that half-baked defense in time—

I'd be pulp.

Like a crushed tomato.

No doubt about it.

"Hah... hahh..."

My consciousness flickered.

Darkness pulsed at the edges of my vision.

But I was alive.

Even if my breathing was ragged, even if moving was agony—I was still breathing.

I cast a healing miracle over myself, my hands trembling slightly as I focused. The warmth of holy ether dulled the worst of the pain.

I turned toward where the flower demon had been.

...Its remains had withered into gray ash.

Tch. Even at the end, it had tried to take me down with it.

I steadied my breathing and forced myself upright.

Pain stabbed through my ribs. My knees nearly buckled.

Cracked ribs, at least.

I pulled out a vial of holy water, downed a sip, and cast another healing miracle. The fractures weren’t fully mended, but at least I could stand.

I didn’t have time to sit around.

I had to help Yuri—

THUD.

Something heavy rolled to a stop in front of me.

"...Huh?"

A slick, gray mass—coated in dark, viscous blood.

A rope-like organ that should have been inside a body.

A chill ran down my spine.

My body went cold.

The worst-case scenario flashed through my mind—

My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst—

"HAAH!"

Yuri’s voice cut through the tension.

I snapped my head up.

The thing at my feet—

A severed tentacle.

The jellyfish demon’s.

Yuri had cleaved it off with his greatsword, Claymore.

Relief crashed over me like a wave.

And then—

I saw him.

He planted his feet, exhaled sharply—

And drove Claymore straight through the jellyfish demon’s head.

Black smoke erupted from the wound.

But—

"'O Lord!'" His voice rang clear. "'Burn away the wicked and purify!'"

"'Holy Flame!'"

Blazing fire erupted from his holy silver greatsword.

The demon writhed. Smoke twisted, dissipating into iridescent particles—purified by the holy ether.

The flames spread.

Engulfed the jellyfish demon whole.

No tricks. No illusions.

Just real, absolute destruction.

I stood frozen.

"...Huh? Wait—"

Before I could process it, the demon crumbled into gray ash.

Gone.

Yuri—had exorcised it.

Alone.

"...Hah... hahh..."

He stood there, panting, sweat and blood dripping down his face.

But he was standing.

He’d taken down an upper-rank demon.

Sure, the jellyfish demon was newly promoted—not exactly built for combat.

But still.

For a regular mid-rank exorcist, it should’ve been unwinnable.

Yet—

Had I underestimated him?

No.

He’d simply grown stronger than I realized.

Through effort. Through experience.

"...Yuri."

I approached as he caught his breath.

At the sound of his name, he wiped his forehead and turned to me.

"Ah, Elsie—wait, are you okay!?"

"I’m fine. Mostly. Did some healing. You?"

"...Banged up, but alive."

His forehead was split open, blood mixing with sweat and grime.

Cuts. Bruises.

But considering what he’d just fought?

Remarkably light injuries.

I checked my own condition—my ribs throbbed, but I could tough it out.

"Even if you act tough, I can tell you’re hurt."

I reached out, touching his arm.

Fever-hot. Littered with wounds.

His expression twitched slightly.

"U-Uh... yeah. I guess it... kinda hurts."

"...Then just say that. I’ll heal you properly."

"...Sorry. But you should heal yourself first."

I blinked.

"Where’s the thank you?"

"Eh? Oh—thank you?"

"Exactly. You don’t have to apologize—just say thanks."

"R-Right. Sor—uh, thank you. Really helps."

"...Good enough, I guess."

I pushed up Yuri’s cassock.

Beneath—

His bare stomach.

Even though I trained, too... did men and women just build muscle differently?

I pressed my hand against his abs and cast Holy Heal.

Healing miracles weren’t as efficient as offensive ones.

Breaking things was easy.

Fixing them?

Much harder.

Bruises covered his stomach. A deep gash along his side.

Hidden under his clothes—but the damage was there.

"...Honestly."

And he called this ‘fine’?

I ran my fingers over the wounds, channeling ether.

They wouldn’t fully heal, but I could at least close the worst of them.

"Ngh...!"

Yuri flinched slightly.

Pain—or just the odd sensation of healing?

I ignored it and focused.

Not wanting to embarrass him further.

Just fixing what I could.

"...That should do it. Any other injuries?"

"I'm good. Thanks, El...sie..."

Yuri’s voice cracked slightly.

With our height difference, his head was above mine. When I looked up, I saw his flushed face turned away.

...What’s with that reaction?

I frowned.

"...What's wrong? You're acting weird."

"Ah, no... You've got my blood on you. Here, you can... uh..."

He handed me his cassock.

"Hah?"

Confused, I took it.

What was he trying to say? Did he want me to wear this? Why?

I lowered my gaze—

And saw the tattered remains of my robe, my bare skin peeking through.

...Oh.

"...Yuri, you pervert."

"W-Wait, no! That's not—!"

I laughed at his flustered expression.

Teasing him more would've been easy, but... it felt mean.

He wasn’t being weird. He was just being considerate.

"...Still, thanks, Yuri."

With a small smile, I draped his bloodstained cassock over my shoulders.

Rejecting someone's kindness would've hurt my heart too.

Yet Yuri was staring at me, slightly dazed.

"...What? Something wrong, Yuri?"

"Ah, no... It's nothing."

His cheeks were still red.

...Probably just overheated from the fight.

With his wounds treated, my holy ether reserves were completely drained.

No more holy water, either.

Apparently, he was empty too.

So even though my body ached... it could wait.

It wasn’t unbearable.

That’s what I told myself as I prepared to wrap things up—

"...Elsie, you got a sec?"

"Hm? What is it, Yuri?"

"...Are you... in pain?"

"...Hah."

Guess I couldn't hide it from him.

Had I been walking that stiffly?

I exhaled, watching Yuri’s face twist with concern.

Ugh. This is exactly why I wanted to hide it.

"...Elsie, if you want... I could carry you?"

"...I'm fine. It doesn’t hurt that much."

"Oh... Sorry."

His apologetic expression made me sigh—

Which hurt.

...Maybe stubbornness wasn’t worth it.

I pushed my bangs back.

"If you want to carry me, then just do it."

The words came out condescending.

I immediately hated myself for it.

But Yuri didn’t get mad.

He smiled.

"Yeah, thanks. Then... excuse me."

Thanks?

I’m the one being a burden.

I looped my arms around his neck from behind, pressing close as he hooked his hands under my thighs.

...Had Yuri always been this big?

His back felt broader than I remembered, firm against my chest.

The realization surprised me.

But also—

It made me happy.

Because it proved something.

That Yuri—the protagonist—had grown strong enough to fight on his own.

Even without me.

I tightened my grip slightly, feeling his warmth through the torn fabric.

Yuri didn’t even stagger under my weight, effortlessly heading deeper into the alley where the demons had been.

Checking for survivors.

For anything left behind.

In the quiet, I swayed gently with each step.

"...Elsie."

"...Yeah?"

He called my name again.

"...I want us to be partners again. For real. I'll... I'll work harder from now on."

I blinked.

I never stopped considering us partners.

But to Yuri, who hadn’t heard me say it outright, the uncertainty must've weighed on him.

"...Well—"

I hadn’t wanted him to care about me.

I hadn’t wanted him to cry if I died.

But... that ship had sailed.

If I died, Yuri would cry.

He’d take it hard.

...He’d probably skip meals for days.

That’s how it felt.

If I died.

I didn’t want anyone to suffer because of me.

I didn’t want anyone to feel what I had when Sherry died.

Because of my Miracle Sign, I wouldn’t live long.

I’d die before them.

So I—

I—

But I—

"............"

Silence.

Yuri waited.

Saying nothing.

I knew my answer.

Just not how to say it.

For a second, I considered responding cruelly—making him hate me.

But... that would’ve been pointless.

So I hesitated.

And hesitated.

Until finally—

"...Right now, Yuri... you're my only partner."

I spoke the truth.

"I won’t say we’re not partners anymore."

Why is it so easy to be honest with him?

"Sorry, Yuri."

Saying it aloud felt like clearing fog from my heart.

"...And thank you."

For being kind to someone like me.

A phrase I’d never have uttered before.

But now... I wanted to.

Must be because I’m exhausted.

That’s all.

I couldn’t see Yuri’s expression—just the back of his head.

But then—

"...Thank you, Elsie."

His quiet gratitude reached me.

And I accepted it.

For now, that simple comfort was enough.

Just knowing we respected each other... something so obvious yet so deeply comforting.

As we swayed, moving deeper into the alley—

"...Elsie, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but..."

"...Yeah."

I nodded at his roundabout preface. Not that he could see it.

"...About your Miracle Sign..."

I tensed slightly.

But Yuri pressed on.

"What does it... actually do? I mean, what's the... cost?"

"...It—"

I hesitated.

But I couldn't stay silent forever.

Yuri was a good person.

To him, I mattered.

And to me... so did he.

"...It can do a lot. Amplify strength, generate holy ether..."

"That's... amazing."

But what Yuri really wanted to know wasn't the benefits.

It was the cost.

Why I refused to use it.

"...And when I use it—"

I want him to keep smiling.

I want him to be happy.

So—

"—I just feel a little sick afterward."

I lied.

---

The black clouds had dissipated, revealing true sunlight.

With the demons gone, their influence had faded.

The alley was now brightly lit.

Which meant we saw everything.

"...Th-This is..."

Yuri's breathing grew ragged.

But who could blame him?

Not after this.

The walls were riddled with holes—likely from the flower demon's tendrils.

Now that they'd vanished, what they'd been holding lay scattered on the ground.

People.

Their eyes, noses, mouths—every orifice seeped a mix of blood and fluids.

So many of them.

"...Yuri, let me down."

"R-Right."

I knelt beside the nearest body, checking their pulse.

...Alive.

Barely.

Shallow breaths. Faint.

"...Why... This is too much."

"Prey storage."

The girl on the ground—just a child—felt brittle under my touch.

Emaciated.

Her mind... broken.

The number of holes didn't match the victims because—

Some were still inside.

Some birds impale their prey on thorns to preserve it.

Spike larders.

The flower demon had done the same—to people.

Its mist shattered their minds, leaving them as nothing but living rations.

I pulled my hand away.

"...No healing miracle can fix this."

I glanced at my own arm.

The scars from shielding Yuri still lingered.

And the brain... was fragile.

Even if we restored their bodies... they'd never return to society.

"...I'm still taking them back. The Saint at Holy Leyline... their Miracle Sign might help. A little."

"...Right. I'll help."

We checked each body.

Some reacted. Barely.

It was grueling work.

We'd come to save people—only to face our powerlessness.

...I could stomach it.

But Yuri's eyes glistened.

Then—I spotted two collapsed figures in cassocks.

The exorcists sent before us.

"...They came as a team."

I rolled one onto their back—

"Ah—"

I knew that face.

The exorcist who'd argued with me before I left for Velapoli.

Exorcist Mia of the Flail... and Exorcist Lily of the Scimitar.

The two mid-rank exorcists originally assigned to the Velapoli mission.

...In the original story, one of them would have died on that mission.

Which was why I took it from them.

And now—

"...Is this my fault?"

My mouth went dry.

Sweat dripped down my back despite the chill.

Did they take this mission because I stole theirs?

Is this the result?

Because I struggled in Velapoli...Because I wasn’t at Holy Leyline when it mattered...Did they get sent here instead?

I needed to breathe.

But my breaths came ragged.

"...Ah... I..."

I thought I’d saved them.

But that was a lie.

This is my fault.

"This is... my fault."

My fault.

They ended up like this because of me.

My fault.

I made the wrong choice.

I knew better—or thought I did.

And because of that—

"Elsie."

Yuri’s voice snapped me back.

Air rushed into my lungs.

A drop of sweat hit the ground.

Steadying my pounding heart, I turned to him.

"Wh-What?"

"Uh, I got the others into a more comfortable position, but... are you okay?"

He hadn’t heard my muttering, it seemed.

I forced a calm I didn’t feel, exhaling slowly before shaking my head.

"Nothing’s wrong. Why?"

"…If you say so. But if something’s bothering you, tell me."

"…Isn’t that a little overbearing?"

"…O-Oh. Is it?"

I brushed off his concern, glancing back at the two fallen exorcists.

"I’m sorry," I whispered inwardly, tearing my gaze away.

I hadn’t forgotten.

This world was cruel.

A twisted, sadistic depression simulator.

That’s why I—

I want to erase this world’s suffering.

I want to break this game.

I have to.

My fingers clenched around the borrowed cassock’s collar.

Through the fabric, I felt my own heartbeat.

A reminder—

I’m still alive.

And I still have work to do.