Honestly, the current situation is completely unexpected.
In a gathering with so many esteemed elves, no less, in one of the busiest areas of Pangrave.
Who would’ve predicted that One Who Devours the Twilight would suddenly jump out at us?
“A day will come when Lemon and Apple say the right thing.”
I was flustered, but I didn’t hesitate in my judgment. It wasn’t that difficult of a problem after all.
Tuberose grabbed One Who Devours the Twilight’s hand and did something to Eve. And now that true nature has been revealed.
So what should we do now? The answer is simple.
“Lydia! Please! Leave this to Shadow!”
“Okay.”
Lydia immediately rushed forward, possibly thinking of my safety first.
The aura emanating from her, reminiscent of flames, was far fiercer than when I faced the Minotaur.
But the enemies also seemed to be thinking ahead, moving just as expected.
“AAAHH!”
“Lord Association! Why…!”
They took the elves nearby hostage. These weren’t affluent guests who commonly wore defensive magical devices; just unfortunate staff who had a bad boss.
How do you deal with heretics coming to wreak havoc when the average person, regardless of gender, has nearly no combat ability?
In an instant, three or four of them were taken hostage, used as shields.
“Tsk.”
Just like when I first met her, Lydia is too weak against hostages. And this fact is widely known.
If One Who Devours the Twilight were to use hostages as shields and cause more casualties, they would’ve certainly acted without hesitation…
But now that a standoff has been established, they can’t easily move.
This is both a virtue and a weakness for noble Lydia.
…But isn’t it the purpose of companions to solve problems like this?
“Benny!”
“I know!”
With a deeper cut in her dress than usual, Benny, sporting a slightly more revealing outfit, stretches her shadow in an unnatural manner towards One Who Devours the Twilight.
What follows is a mass of flesh that scares people in their dreams. It was Shadow.
-Kuh-rragh!
With a menacing roar, Shadow bursts forth from the shadows. It moved beautifully like a dolphin leaping from the water, but the results were horrific.
Splatter!
“AAAHH!”
The arm of one of the captors gets torn off by sharp teeth. Tentacles springing from the amorphous mass of flesh become dozens of arms, attacking the other heretics.
Reacting instinctively, they throw the hostages aside to dodge the tentacles. That brief moment was enough for Lydia.
“Hah!”
With a short shout, she unleashes a slash. Using a thin rapier at an invisible speed rather than her usual greatsword.
Each time her flame-like aura bursts forth, so does a part of One Who Devours the Twilight’s body.
Most of the ones caught for hostage were hit in the shoulder or upper body, but a few had their heads blown off by rapiers that found small gaps.
The hostages scatter in confusion, and the guests finally pull out their escape plan.
While it’s a banquet hall, they aren’t carrying proper weapons, but the various accessories on their bodies start to shine and emit unique energies.
Some are just simple items infused with a craftsman’s spirit, while others are magical artifacts from the start, even a few borrowing the powers of spirits.
Even without combat skills, the equipment gives them a power level matching that of an adventurer on the second floor. However, things wouldn’t go smoothly.
“Fellow countrymen. Would you please stay still for now?”
Tuberose, who had been hiding behind One Who Devours the Twilight, began to have her eyes glow with a yellow-green light.
It was a color slightly unsettling, unlike the clear light emitted by the Truth Eyes of Basilieus or Eve.
At the same time, the faint sense of discomfort I felt began to amplify.
For me, it was just a suspicious aura, but for the elves, was it something different?
Before I knew it, Lemon and Apple, who had hidden behind the high seat I was sitting in, were squawking.
“Jonah, it’s dangerous…!”
“My body… can’t move well.”
The two were like broken tin dolls squeaking. Now that I looked closely, others seemed to be similarly affected.
Lydia’s movements had clearly slowed, and Benny was still casting something, but her expression was wrinkled in anguish. Even Shadow was in a state of collapsing flesh and regenerating.
Fortunately, we could still move, but the other elves stiffened like logs.
Whatever it is, those eyes seem to work differently from the Truth Eyes.
It seems I’m the only one still completely fine.
Now that I thought about it, the unicorn dagger I had reflexively drawn, even though it wasn’t detecting a maiden, was emitting a subtle glow.
The purification power contained in a unicorn horn was likely counteracting Tuberose’s trickery.
Making sure the light didn’t escape, I discreetly tucked the unicorn dagger between my clothes.
In the meantime, Benny finished her long incantation and pointed at the figure who seemed to be the leader of One Who Devours the Twilight.
“…Die, you insane creatures! Putrid flesh!”
From Benny’s fingertip, a burst of red light erupted. Even knowing it was an ally, it emitted a feeling both ominous and dangerous.
However, the heretic leader looked on nonchalantly at the rapidly incoming laser.
“Well, a failed experiment has quite a bit of spirit.”
With that one remark, a red wall of flames engulfed him. In an instant, I realized it wasn’t just any fire; it was a piece of the sun.
Although it was made of magical power, it forcibly burned away the laser that had taken on the form of light.
This is impossible. That’s why it’s called a miracle.
But Benny’s magic was far from over. What reason could there be to prepare such a long incantation in this urgent situation?
Benny acknowledged and accepted Shadow. That bond between them has grown stronger.
If they are indeed parts of one another, casting magic from Shadow rather than Benny isn’t impossible.
-Kyaha!
Shadow, facing another One Who Devours the Twilight where Lydia cannot reach, suddenly expands its body, and from all its mouths sprout red beams.
One heretic, hit directly, rots away alive, leaving only bones behind.
These beams bend unnaturally at various angles, targeting what seems to be the leader. But…
“…For a failed experiment, you’re not half bad.”
The flames enveloping his body intensified and began to take the shape of long wings.
Wings resembling a bird made of fire. I immediately recognized it as one of the elaborate settings we had crafted.
“The Phoenix Wing?!”
The power of creation and destruction representing the Sun God. Among the godly powers of a dead god that hold no potential for growth, it’s among the most powerful.
Yet it ended up in the enemy’s hands; what a twist of fate…
While I lamented internally, the fiery wings obstructed and burned the beams that started from Shadow.
Simultaneously, a burning sword fell from the air, piercing Shadow’s body.
-KEEEEK!
The flames that engulfed Shadow were magnificent, yet not powerful enough to surpass Shadow’s regeneration.
…The problem is that with those flames, Shadow’s regeneration is half-sealed.
Knowing this, another mentoring heretic charged towards Shadow.
“Haha! I haven’t had enough test subjects lately, but what a lucky day to find one that won’t break!”
Loud laughter escaped as he stretched out his fist. To my surprise, that fist was made of steel.
With divine power felt in it, it couldn’t be a prosthetic; it had to be the Earth God’s typical power—a universal power that temporarily turns one’s arm into steel for a burst of strength.
BAM!
After being struck, Shadow was instantly turned to mush. Normally, it would have quickly regenerated, but right now that speed was far too slow. It allowed for follow-up hits.
BAM!
The iron fist stomped down onto Shadow’s remaining parts. Ultimately, Shadow gave up full regeneration and shifted his consciousness to one of the larger fragments left behind.
-GRROOOWWW!
The body had shrunk significantly compared to before. It was clear that if it continued like this, Shadow would be completely incapacitated, so Lydia, who had been consistently reducing the number of heretical mentors, sighed and stepped in to protect Shadow.
“It never ends easily.”
“Whoever you are, you’ll go flying with me!”
With great excitement, he charged in like a dumb gorilla.
With the pressure of wind, the iron fist flew in. Lydia responds, wrapping her aura around the greatsword she had unsheathed in the meantime.
BOOM!
A clash sounding like an explosion erupted.
Shadow, regaining scattered flesh while crawling to where Lydia had just been.
Automatic magical devices activated to protect the frozen noble guests. And the mentor-grade heretics used all sorts of strategies to break through.
While Shadow was using the flames clinging to him to burn the bodies of the enemies, Tuberose, who had been leisurely sipping wine while dropping bombs in the banquet hall, finally spoke up.
“Do not worry too much. While they may be unwelcome guests, I wouldn’t harm my kin. Please do not resist, and just surrender. Safety will be assured by the mentor Tania here.”
The leader mentoring heretic blocking Benny’s magic approached, and Tania nodded in agreement.
“All we need is to recover the power of the World Tree. It would also be quite nice to continue eliminating those who get in the way of the Goddess’s plans.”
A statement demanding surrender.
At first glance, it sounds sweet. But there isn’t a soul here who doesn’t know that this is a trap.
Would anyone trust One Who Devours the Twilight, even if they call themselves a traitor?
Perhaps wanting to remain a good mother to her daughter, Rosemary hadn’t succumbed to Tuberose’s paralysis effect.
She had just been too shocked to move until now.
“Mother… why…”
At her daughter’s bewildered voice, Tuberose smiled gently.
“My daughter. My successor, who will carry on everything. You may not understand now, but in time, you will surely come to understand this mother. Perhaps you may even make the same choice. After all, we are mother and daughter, aren’t we?”
“No, no! That won’t happen! This is… this is wrong!”
As she gritted her teeth and stood up, Rosemary’s magical devices prepared to face the Minotaur, glowing and conjured various spells into the air.
“…I cannot have this. First, go to sleep.”
Once again, Tuberose’s eyes glowed with yellow-green light, and Rosemary, like the others, became frozen in place.
Walking past her motionless daughter, Tuberose approached the high seat, aiming for me.
Her objective was probably me. Specifically, me who holds the power of the World Tree like Eve.
Now I somewhat understand why Eve turned dark.
She must have begun seeking out Tuberose for help when her romance with the protagonist wasn’t going well…
Only to end up betrayed.
If someone she had trusted and fought for backstabbed her, I could see why she might turn dark.
…If that’s the case, then Eve must still be alive.
Darkness can only arise if one is still living, right?
While idly fidgeting with the hilt of the dagger hidden in my robes, I quickly gathered my thoughts.
Having realized Tuberose’s target was me, Lemon and Apple crawled behind the throne and spoke up.
“Jonah, run….”
“We’ll take care of this…!”
“……”
Seriously, what kind of guts do those two have to say they’ll handle this when they can’t properly speak or even stand up?
Though I think Lemon and Apple aren’t bad at heart, I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. As expected, only in my mind.
I had to continue pretending to be paralyzed like everyone else.
While I remained stiff, Tuberose finally reached right in front of the high seat and grinned broadly.
“I’ll give you a heads-up. Don’t stubbornly defy me and answer my questions. Your death can’t be avoided, so should you not die without pain?”
“What nonsense are you spouting, you crazy woman?! Don’t you see me?!”
Benny, having blocked the gust from Tania—the leader of One Who Devours the Twilight—with her flesh and bone magic, pushes her body forward in front of me.
Though her full attention was still directed at Tania, Benny unleashed a flurry of magic… however, their stances seemed evenly matched.
No, while their powers might be similar, Benny was clearly at a disadvantage in terms of compatibility.
In any case, Tuberose, who clearly knows Benny can’t afford to protect me, laughed at her and began to ascend the high seat.
“Why not try to stop me if you can?”
“Y-you…!”
Just when Benny finally raised one leg, resigned to fighting in hand-to-hand combat,
“Indeed. Go ahead and try to stop me.”
With a sly smile, Tuberose unleashed her prepared tricks.
Roots sprouted from the enormous tree that had blended into the chair, snaking out to grab Tuberose’s ankles while branches reached overhead to restrain her forearms.
“How is this?!”
In an instant, with Tuberose caught off-guard, I whipped out the hidden unicorn dagger.
Intending to slice her throat to end her life here and now.
But
Clang!
With the sound of breaking glass, the dagger stopped just a few centimeters from her neck.
“Tch.”
Of course. The head of the Cradle Association—who’s wallowing in wealth—wouldn’t be completely defenseless.
It must have been a magical device that automatically activated upon sensing danger, creating a shield. Somehow, I managed to slightly breach the first two layers, but the last layer only made a scratch and didn’t penetrate.
“Hah, heh. It seems your attempt was commendable, but perhaps luck just wasn’t on your side.”
Even though it was filled with the power of Basilieus, in essence, it was still just a plain ornamental tree.
As Tuberose exerted force, the roots and branches that held her failed one by one.
She wore a triumphant smile at my expense, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
“Ah well, ending it here would be too boring, right?”
Instead of desperately trying to extract the unicorn dagger stuck between the shields, I simply tossed it aside and retrieved the Wrist Crossbow from my Subspace Ring.
“I still have one shot left.”
Skillfully strapping it to my wrist, I drew the bowstring after a quick load from the recent simplifications.
Thwok! Thwok! Thwok!
With a low echo, three arrows were fired in quick succession.
The first arrow burrowed into the crack made by the dagger, and the second widened it, breaking the last shield.
And the final third arrow pierced—
Thump!
“Gahhh!”
Straight into Tuberose’s neck.
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