Chapter 37: Kaima, Defeated

Grandpa Genkon, confident of victory after fulfilling his long-held wish.

Ahem!

"Now, count your sins!"

Chapter 37: Kaima, Defeated

(.....Something's wrong.)

Genkon frowned in bewilderment.

Maria's body, the vessel into which the Kaima God, Absolute Chaos Youshin, was supposed to have descended, continued to remain motionless, showing no sign of movement.

Their master, the Absolute Chaos Youshin, had uttered a voice announcing 'his' return,
and remained silent ever since.

There was no movement to stand up, nor a single word to follow.

Genkon began to ponder the cause of the current stagnation, wondering if he had overlooked something.

(Our God, Youshin, should have been resurrected.....)

It was at this moment, when Genkon began to feel something akin to apprehension, that the swarm of reddish-black tentacles covering the stone chamber suddenly began to move violently.

The tentacles wrapped around the masked men's bodies did the same, thrashing about wildly and raging.

At that time, the men were either slammed to the ground with tremendous force or constricted by the tentacles with immense strength, resulting in instant death or near-death.

(What?! What's happening...?!)

Even Genkon, who had lived for over a thousand years, couldn't contain his shock.

The resurrection of the Kaima God, Youshin, caused an unexpected situation, with the tentacles running amok.

Even Genkon, who has transformed his own body into a 'Living Corpse' and mastered Dark Magic, would find it impossible to command the God of Kaima.

Unable to even consider a course of action, he simply dodged the rampaging tentacles, and could only stare blankly at the chaotic scene before him.

Eventually, Genkon came to mind one possible cause for the tentacles' rampage.

(No.... It can't be...!!!

What if the sanctity of the Saint who would become the vessel far surpassed the evil nature of the Kaima God...?

The Kaima God's soul would surely have suffered a near-fatal injury and writhed in agony.

These tentacle movements must be the result of his struggling and thrashing in unbearable pain.

....No, that's impossible!! A young girl like her couldn't possibly possess that much sanctity!)

Genkon tried to immediately dismiss the possibility he had considered, but the scene before him presented an inescapable reality.

Then, the rampaging tentacles suddenly stopped abruptly.

Immediately afterward, space shook violently.

From the stone chamber... no, centered around Maria's body, a silent, massive tremor erupted, and its impact shook the entire space, the entirety of this gigantic cavern.

After that violent tremor, there was a brief pause...

All the tentacles that had entangled Maria's body exploded.

Then, the groups of tentacles that had been nesting inside the stone chamber also exploded one after another.

The exploded tentacles became mere lumps of flesh, scattering hideously.

That was the logical course of it, but before they could fall to the ground, all the pieces of flesh turned into particles of light and vanished.

The tentacles that had stretched out from the stone chamber and attacked the masked men also exploded and then vanished into tiny particles of light.

As if to say that in the presence of the Saint, not even a trace of evil being is permitted, not even a speck of dust.

(Unbelievable! How?! Youshin is the God of Kaima!!)

Genkon was on the verge of panic, unable to accept the reality that the tentacles, which should have been part of the Kaima God's body, were all vanishing.

Just then, someone emerged from the stone chamber before Genkon's eyes.

It was Maria.

Emerging from the dark stone chamber, enveloped in a golden aura of spiritual light, her body floated upright in the air.

Her long, ruby-colored hair fluttered beautifully even without wind.

Genkon recoiled at her appearance, involuntarily stepping back slightly.

He had sensed that the magic emanating from Maria was that of the Holy attribute, but more than anything, he was overwhelmed by the sheer presence of her extraordinarily immense magical power.

The golden spiritual aura emanating from Maria's body was because her Holy attribute magic, even now, on the verge of being unleashed, was so powerful that it was leaking out into the outside world.

Furthermore, the leaked magic was so intense that even its mere shimmering seemed to distort the surrounding space.

(So beautiful.....)

While Genkon felt awe and fear towards Maria's presence, he found himself almost mesmerized by her appearance.

Her beauty as a child seemed even more divine and radiant than when he first saw her at the Madozono mansion.

"Youshin... has passed away..."

A sigh escaped Maria's lips.

"He was the first being who had ever brought me such happiness..."

Maria spoke these words with genuine sorrow.

Genkon could only shudder at Maria's statement.

She looked like a child tormented by self-reproach and regret, having destroyed a toy she had just acquired through her own reckless actions.

(So, it was really the sanctity of the Saint that destroyed Youshin's soul...!!)

"Youshin was the first being to ever bring her such happiness," she said!?!?

Is she's trying to say that the Kaima God was the very first one to ever put up a proper fight against her...!?

To think like after defeating a God in a battle of souls....

How could she utter such childish remarks!?)

Maria's disappointed tone filled Genkon with even more terror.

The memory of Maria cornering him at Madozono's mansion, using only basic magic, combined with this, made him shudder at the unfathomable depth of Maria's power.

He had underestimated the power of the Saint.

He never imagined that she could destroy the Kaima God with such a playful attitude....!

Genkon trembled with fear—a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time.

Maria turned an innocent smile towards Genkon.

"Grandpa ♡ You will always continue to bring me more and more happiness, won't you ♡?"

Oh, that smile!

That pure voice!

She exuded an innocent yet mysterious beauty.

Not that of a Saint, but a bewitching, enchanting Witch.

"─────!?!?!?!"

Upon hearing the words delivered with that devilish smile, Genkon let out a silent scream.

(This is no joke...!!

This little girl, knowing that I possess the immortality of a Living Corpse, intends to torture and kill me endlessly!

I must escape!!!)

Out of desperation, Genkon used telekinesis magic to throw the corpses of the Nayuta no Hebi followers lying on the ground, or their dying bodies, at Maria as a diversion.

While Maria was disposing of them, Genkon transformed his own body into a mist and fled away from her with all his might.

As a demonic being who has lived for over a thousand years, he has no pride, nor any dignity as the leader of the Nayuta Serpent.

If he were to fight that MONSTER head-on, he would surely be annihilated.

Genkon judged this based on his intuition and the fact that the Youshin had been annihilated.

The option of fighting Maria, the Saint, directly is unlikely to be considered in the future.

The power of that basic magic, the amount of magical power of that Holy attribute.

To defeat the Saint, he would have to use a trap.

He would torment Maria's innocent heart.

Mima and her daughter would be effective as hostages to exploit Maria's emotions.

If he had known this would happen, he should have kidnapped Mima as a hostage along with Maria.

Genkon desperately tried to escape, his mind racing with thoughts, and he gritted his teeth in frustration.

(The terrain is in my favor. She won't catch up to me.

Should I return to Madozono's mansion now and keep Mima under my control?)

Just as Genkon began formulating his next move, he reached the vicinity of the cave's exit.

There, Genkon was stunned.

Mima, clad in silver spiritual armor, was waiting for him, pointing a cloth-covered staff at him!

AN:

It's Mama's Turn!

Genkon, the time for your retribution has come! (・∀・)