Chapter 6: Unnecessary Meddling

I taught the orphanage children.
Yuri cleaned and repaired the church.

That was how we spent our days.

But at night, Yuri secretly studied at his desk—probably because I called on him during lessons.

Days passed. Two, three… then ten.

Port Town of Velapoli, Midnight.

Yuri and I stood on the beach, dressed in our monastic robes.

The stakes we’d planted along the shore had detected a demon’s presence.

"...Yuri, ready?"

"Yeah... I'm good."

He nodded, fully equipped for battle. Two vials of holy water at his hip. Two silver stakes, blessed throwing weapons.

At my chest, the Sacred Silver Artifact—a rosary—shifted into my weapon.
Yuri’s became a greatsword.
Mine, a sledgehammer.

Dark clouds swallowed the moon. Something approached from the blackened horizon.

I didn’t want to waste divine ether, but some things couldn’t be helped.

"O Lord, grant us eyes to see calamity."

A prayer. A miracle.

Sacred Blindness Unbound—Holy Blindness.

Darkness peeled away. Not by light, but by heightened sight.
A self-buff—useless on others.
Which meant Yuri would have to fight blind.

At least the lighthouse gave us some visibility.

I gripped my hammer and stepped forward.

"Listen, Yuri. Lure the demon in—make sure it can’t retreat back to sea."

"...Yeah, I know."

"Forget the town—just draw it onto land. Got it?"

"...Got it."

"Good."

We’d had this talk before, but I needed to be sure.

Yuri was too soft. If the demon turned toward town, he’d push himself too far.

"...Hah."

I tightened my grip.

The bounty said this was a mid-rank demon. But from my knowledge? High-rank.

A Sharkuma—a shark-bear hybrid. A brute-force monster with razor-sharp scales, resistant to slashing.

But I had a hammer. That should work.

Still, I wouldn’t get careless.

Then—I saw it.

Gliding across the water’s surface.

...Wait.

The bounty said it "skimmed the sea." I thought it swam just below, its dorsal fin slicing the waves.

But no.

That wasn’t a fin.

It was running.

Not a shark. Not a bear.

A chill ran through me.

Calm down. If I panicked, Yuri would too.

I forced myself to look again.

A manta ray.

A demon mimicking one, with wing-like fins and two mouth-tendrils curling like horns. It skimmed the water, charging at terrifying speed.

No time to question why it was different from the game.

"Yuri, prepare to intercept! Landing in—12 seconds!"

"Got it...!"

No hesitation. No second-guessing.

The demon leapt.

"Hah!?"

A massive, un-fishlike movement.

Then I saw what was beneath it.

Tentacles.

Dozens of them, suckered and thick like an octopus’s, launching its enormous body forward.

For a moment, its grotesque form stole my breath.

Then—

"...! Yuri, from above! Dodge!"

"Eh—?!"

A colossal shadow swallowed us whole.

The demon crashed down.

Yuri and I dove in opposite directions. Sand exploded around us.

"Tch...!"

"Whoa—?!"

We landed, weapons ready.

The demon lifted its manta-ray head with thick, tree-trunk-sized tentacles.

Big.

Too big.

If it reared up, it would dwarf the church.

For a moment, its sheer presence threatened to crush me.

"No way this is mid-rank."

This was high-rank—beyond classification.

Fear. Oppression. Terror.

I forced them down, flooding my body with divine ether.
One breath to steady myself—then I slammed my sledgehammer into the ground.

Boom.

The impact detonated the sand, launching me skyward.

"Hah!"

Midair, I swung—

The hammer came crashing down.

Had the demon failed to react?
Or did it simply not see me as a threat?

The blow struck true—and exploded.

Divine ether surged through the Sacred Silver weapon, amplifying its holy force.
The impact carved through the demon’s head—I soared past, landing near Yuri.

Boots skidding, I pivoted.

A solid hit.
That had to do damage.

The demon loomed ahead—a chunk of its skull missing.

Yuri’s expression brightened.

"Elsie! Let’s press the advan—"
"Wait! Something’s wr—"

Wrong.

No panic. No thrashing.
The demon stood eerily still—even with its skull gouged open.

Demons were incarnations of human malice.
They raged when wounded. Flinched in crisis.

Yet this one—calm. Composed.

Its tentacles twitched.

"Oh shi—"

Yuri and I gasped.

No time to think—they lashed out.

Fast.
Too fast for something that size.

I swung my hammer, battering back two tendrils.
Yuri severed his with a single claymore strike.

The severed limbs writhed in the sand—then stilled.

Slashing had the advantage.
My relief was short-lived.

Because the demon was untouched.

Not a single wound.
Its caved-in skull—completely restored.

Regeneration.

Demons could heal over time.
But this? Mid-combat? Instantaneous?

...So that was its ability.

"Elsie... That demon—"
"I know."

"Hyper-regeneration."

Minor wounds were meaningless.

Yuri tightened his grip.

I replayed the exchange.
My hammer wasn’t enough.
Not without scale. Not without firepower.

Then—

"Yuri. Frontline."
"Got it."
"Die, and I’ll kill you."
"...Yeah, yeah."

He stepped forward, blade raised.

I retreated.

From my hip pouch—two vials of holy water.
I downed both, ether surging through my veins.
Power flooded in—temporary, but potent.

Crouching, I drove two silver stakes into the sand.

A makeshift sanctuary.
Twin spires, mirroring the church.

A ritual focus—to amplify my miracles.

In an instant—the demon moved.

It sensed what I was doing.

Tendrils lashed toward me.

I didn’t dodge.

Avoiding them would disrupt the ritual.

So—how to handle this?

…I wasn’t alone.

"I won’t let you—!"

Yuri’s blade severed the incoming tendrils.

Good. I trusted him.
He could handle this.

So I didn’t hesitate. Didn’t falter.
Didn’t even glance his way.

Instead, I began the incantation.

"‘The Lord delivers judgment upon the wicked with His own hand.’"

More tendrils shot toward me.
Still, I didn’t stop.

"‘By what measure is wickedness defined?’"

Yuri would protect me.
No distractions. No doubt.

Right now, I poured everything into this miracle.

"‘Those who defy the Lord are wicked.’"

The verses linked together.

Incantations could be shortened—
A single phrase was sometimes enough.

But shortened prayers weakened the miracle.
Against this demon, that wouldn’t cut it.

So this time—
I needed every verse.

A complete miracle.

"‘Let there be—

‘The Judgment of Light!’"

Regeneration? Then I’d just deal damage faster than it could heal.

Simple.

"‘Holy Lightning!’"

The moment the words left my lips—
Ether drained violently.

The sanctuary stakes shattered.

My reserves.
The holy water’s boost.
The ritual’s amplification.

All of it—funneled into a single strike.

And then—

A deafening roar.

The sky split open.

Light consumed the midnight shore.

A blinding, searing flash—

Lightning.

A bolt from the heavens—striking at near-light speed.
Faster than an instant.

Unavoidable. Unstoppable.

The Lord’s judgment—pure divine retribution.

The result?

Sizzling flesh.
Crackling cells.
The air itself trembled.

The lightning tore through the demon.
Heat detonated its body from within.

The head—gone.
The manta-ray form—erased.

"Hah...! Hah...!"

I gasped for air.

Divine ether was life force.
Draining it like this—wrecked the body.

Dizziness.
Nausea.
My knees buckled.

"...Ugh—!"

Sweat poured down my face.

And then—

"Elsie! It’s not over yet!"

My head snapped up.

The demon was—

Regenerating.

"...Huh?"

Even after my full-power strike—
It still had enough left to heal?

My mind fogged.

Like watching a distant stage play.

Detached from reality.

And then—

—!?

Snapping back.

Finally, I understood.

My strongest miracle—"Judgment of Lightning"—hadn’t been enough.

No, it worked—just not decisively.

And now, even those wounds were closing.

A complete failure.

Regret was pointless.

I switched gears.

"Yu—ri!"

"Got it!"

No further explanation needed.

He understood.

A good thing, too—
Because demons understood human speech.

Underestimating them as mindless beasts?

A quick way to die.

"Raaaaaah!!!"

Yuri spun, his claymore carving through the remaining tendrils in a wide arc—then he charged.

Straight for the demon’s core.

Now—while it was still half-destroyed.

This was our chance.

Whittle it down.
Finish it.

Yuri leapt.

His blade plunged deep into the demon’s skull.

The creature thrashed, trying to shake him off—
But Yuri wrenched the claymore deeper, anchoring himself.

And then—

"‘O Lord, smite those who bear malice!’"

An incantation.

I froze.

"An incantation...?!"

If Yuri was reciting a spell—it had to be something decisive.

"‘Holy Spark!’"

Lightning erupted from the claymore, surging through the demon’s body.
Electricity, coursing through its flesh.

The creature convulsed.

Its soft, waterlogged tissues conducted the current perfectly.

But—

I’d never seen Yuri use this miracle before.

He must have been practicing. Every night.

A smile crept onto my face.

Then—

I slammed a fist into my knee.

If I didn’t stand now—
If I couldn’t fight—

What was the point of me living?

"Ghh...! Hah...!"

Deep breath in.
Deep breath out.

Then—

I activated a miracle.

Not one of the 101 imitations I could replicate.
Not a borrowed trick.

But a true Miracle Sign—
Carved into my very being.

Imitated miracles required divine ether.
Used by those who couldn't wield the real thing.

But true Miracle Signs?

No cost.

A blessing from God—limitless in use.

And this one—

The miracle of trading lifespan for power.

What kind of power?

Strength?
Speed?
Intelligence?

The answer—was all of it.

This miracle’s true strength wasn’t mere enhancement—
It was adaptability.

Any form of "power" could be manifested.

So right now—what did I need?

"Ghh...! Ugh...!"

Divine ether.

I converted my lifespan.

Like punching a hole in a water jug—
The contents spilled out endlessly.

I didn’t know how much "water" remained.

But I couldn't hold back.

If someone died because I hesitated—I'd never recover.

To stand here now—
I had to push forward.

For that—
I would trade my life for ether.

"Elsie! MOVE!"

Yuri’s voice—snapped me back.

Too focused inward.

Ether depletion fogging my mind.
Sheer exhaustion was dulling my senses.

I hadn't noticed.

I looked up—

The demon’s tendril—aimed at me.

Twisted.
Sharpened.
Optimized for killing.

"Ah—"

Yuri had been hurled aside.

His weapon—gone.
Still lodged in the demon’s skull.

Yet—

The demon didn’t remove the blade.

Instead, it chose to eliminate me first.

To stop another lightning strike.

The tendril coiled.
Blade-like edges gleaming.

"ELSI—!"

It shot toward me.

Too fast.
Too late.

I couldn’t dodge—

"Ghk—!?"

Blood sprayed from my left shoulder.

Searing pain.
The grotesque sensation of something foreign piercing through flesh.

I hit the sand, tumbling—barely avoiding a fatal blow.

But I hadn’t dodged fast enough.

Warmth spread across my skin.
My monastic robes, darkening with blood.

I pressed a hand to the wound, trying to push myself up.
Divine ether surged—
Reinforcing my body—
Healing—

The demon didn’t grant me that luxury.

Its tendril coiled again—
Aimed.
Fired.

Death rushed toward me.

And yet—

I felt… calm.

Everything moved in slow motion.

And I knew—there was nothing left to do.

I should’ve used my lifespan from the start.

A futile regret.

The tendril lunged—

Blood splattered again.

But—no pain.

Had my brain shut it out? Already accepted death?

No.

The wound wasn’t mine.

"Ah…"

The one pierced—wasn’t me.

Standing before me, shielding me—was him.

"Y-Yuri…? Why…?"

He didn’t answer.

He only stumbled—
Then collapsed onto the sand.

No attempt to brace himself.

Blood pooled beneath him.

My partner—my friend—
Impaled through the stomach.

A scene from my deepest memories overlapped—

A girl who’d adored me.
A corpse at my feet.

Panic.
Regret.
Remorse.

They consumed me.

Then—

"Gh—!"

I bit down on my lip.

Copper filled my mouth.

Pain jolted my fading consciousness awake.

Do what you can. Now.

That was all that mattered.

Body and soul—

I activated the Miracle Sign engraved upon me.

"Ugh… Aah…!"

A surge of divine ether—
My wounds sealed instantly.

I grabbed my sledgehammer and stood.

"RAAAAAAAAH!"

A wordless scream tore from my throat as I kicked off the ground.

Dozens of times my normal ether capacity—
A body exceeding human limits.

I soared.

Divine ether poured into my Sacred Silver weapon.

A chime-like resonance echoed.

The hammer shrieking—
Unable to contain the overwhelming power.

Tendrils surged toward me midair.

I didn’t dodge.

I plowed through them.

Shallow cuts lined my skin—
But my enhanced body ignored the damage.

"DIE, YOU BASTARD!!"

With a roar—
I swung.

My target?

The claymore was still embedded in its skull.

The hammer struck the sword’s pommel—

And divine ether detonated.

An explosion—
From within the demon’s body.

In other words—

"EAT THIS, YOU—!"

A flash.

Normally, divine ether was invisible—
But at this density—

It blazed like light.

The demon shattered.

From its manta-ray head to the tips of its tendrils, ether surged and exploded.

The backlash hurled me backward.

"Guh—!"

As the demon disintegrated into mist,
I crashed onto the beach—face-first.

"Cough—! Ugh—!"

I spat out sand.

The demon was gone.

Annihilated.

No need to confirm.

I’d overkilled it.

But—

"Now… Yuri…"

My task wasn’t finished.

I forced my broken body forward, crawling to where Yuri lay.

"Ah…"

His breathing—ragged.

A hole in his abdomen.
Too severe for basic healing miracles.

It had to be agonizing.
Unbearable.

And yet—

"S-Sorry… Elsie…"

His eyes met mine.

No regret.
No fear.

Just—

Pride.

Pride in protecting me.
Pride in killing it.

That expression—

I knew it.

I’d seen it before.

On someone else’s face.

Someone who’d died smiling—just like this.

...So, it pissed me off beyond reason.

Really, really pissed me off.

So much—so, so, so, so, so much that it was unbearable.

"...Like hell I'd let you die..."

I wanted to scream at him—curse him out, even—but neither of us had the luxury for that right now.

I wouldn’t let him die.

I didn’t want him to die.

I didn’t want him dead.

I wanted him to live.

But the wound was deep.

At a glance, I could tell—his organs were damaged.

The "miracle" of holy ether wouldn’t be enough to fix this.

It wouldn’t be fast enough.

It wouldn’t be enough, period.

But this wasn’t like "back then."

I was stronger now.

I could do more.

So—

With trembling hands, I unclasped the pouch at Yuri’s waist… and "borrowed" two vials of holy water.

Then, I took them into my mouth.

Not to drink—just to hold.

What I needed was a medium—something infused with holy ether.

So I mixed it with my own body—the blood from my split lips, my saliva—

And then—

I grabbed Yuri’s face.

"El… Cee…?"

And then I—

"Mmm—"

—pressed my lips to his.

Yuri’s eyes flew wide open.

He didn’t understand what I was doing.

I let the mixture of holy water and saliva flow into his mouth.

Blood must have been refluxing from his internal injuries—his own saliva tasted metallic.

Holy water infused with ether, my own bodily fluids—

Using them as a medium, I made Yuri’s body recognize mine as part of itself.

For just this moment—for this fleeting instant—

The barrier between us disappeared.

And so… my "Miracle Sign" took effect.

I offered my own lifespan to amplify Yuri’s healing.

A span of time that felt both endless and instantaneous—I kept our lips locked.

And then, after a while…

Once I confirmed the wound on Yuri’s stomach had closed—

"…Hah—"

I pulled away.

A glossy, viscous thread stretched between our lips.

Yuri seemed to realize his wound had closed, but the shock of what just happened must have left him speechless—he just stared at me, dazed.

---

The lingering softness on my lips.
The foreign sensation in my mouth.
A sweet scent.
The metallic tang of blood.

All of it swirled together, making my head spin.

Yet—when I looked up at Elsie’s face… I felt just a little calmer.

She had grown drastically stronger the moment I fell, obliterating the demon in an instant.

This wasn’t just her "holding back" before—no, that wasn’t possible.

Something else was at play.
Something she hadn't told me.

Most likely… it was tied to her being a "Saint"—born with the "Miracle Sign."

Why had she hidden it?
I didn’t know.

But—

She used that hidden power to save me.

So—

So…

A droplet fell onto my cheek.

Not rain.

A tear.

Elsie’s brows were furrowed in anger—
Yet her eyes… they were spilling over.

Anger. Pain. Frustration.

I couldn’t read her expression.
I couldn’t even find my voice.

Then—her trembling lips parted.

"Why… did you save me?"

A simple question.
Too simple.

I opened my mouth.

"…Because I didn’t want you to die."

The moment I answered—her face twisted further.

"…That’s—that’s not it! That’s wrong! That doesn’t make sense! How—!?"

Her voice rose, sharp and raw.

"Why would you try to protect me when you’re weaker!? Why!? I never asked for that! I’m not even someone you like!"

No gratitude.
Only rage hurled back at me.

But—I hadn’t saved her for thanks.
I just… didn’t want her to die.

Seeing my expression, she forced out more words.

"Shielding someone like me… acting like you did something noble! No one—no one wanted this!"

"El… sie…?"

I could see it now—
The disconnect between her heart and her actions.

The truth behind it.

"Sherry was the same…! I never asked for it! Throwing herself in front of me, dying on her own—! It’s just a burden!"

She hadn’t become like this just because her former buddy died.
It was because her buddy chose to die for her.

So, surely—

She didn’t want anyone to care for her.
Because she couldn’t stand watching people die for her sake.

Faced with the weight of her words—
I couldn’t speak.

And so—she poured out everything onto me.

"Everyone’s just… stupid! Protecting me doesn’t mean anything! So why…!? Why…!? I’m sick of it…! I hate it…!"

Her expression contorted—
Anger melting into grief.

I didn’t want her to suffer anymore.

So—I spoke.

"Elsie… I—"

"I hate you… hate you, hate you! I hate you, Yuri…!"

The words she spat were full of loathing.
Yet—

With every syllable, her face only looked more pained.

"We’re disbanding as buddy partners…! Don’t you dare act like my comrade again! Never… never again!"

Plip. Plip.

As if echoing her emotions, rain began to fall.

The clouds that had veiled the moon now wept over us, drenching us both in cold, relentless drops.