Chapter 295
Figaro's body fell away, and the tree created by Sasha's ability also began to collapse.
Crack! Rip!
The holy barrier created by the Saint's power shattered like glass shards.
Simon hurried to Sasha before it was too late.
"Sasha! Can you hear me?"
She remained unresponsive, her face the only part visible, buried in the tree.
Simon slid his hand into the wood grain and forced it apart with a crack! Perhaps because it was already collapsing, the tree's strength had weakened.
The moment Simon slipped into the gap in the wood and embraced Sasha—
'!'
Once again, the world turned entirely white.
Time, space, everything stopped. When Simon turned his head, he saw a young girl sitting on a chair in the whitened space, resting her chin on her hand with a smile.
[It was short, but fun.]
The Essence of Purification spoke with a gentle smile.
[It's the first time I've entered a boy's body, and I was surprised at how well you handled me. No, even counting the girls, I've never met anyone who could draw out my power so quickly. I'll give you a special compliment!]
Simon took the chance to ask what he was curious about.
"...So I really did become a Saint just now, right?"
[Something like that. To be precise, you were a Saint, and yet not—a sort of irregular.]
She shrugged her shoulders.
[Honestly, it wasn't bad, but I still prefer girls~ I'm going to look for a new girl to accept me.]
"I'll pass on being joined with you, too."
Simon said flatly.
"You gave my mother a hard time."
[Mother? Ah—that woman? Her name was Anna, wasn't it?]
Her eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands together.
[Anna was truly the best! I happened to see her in passing, just once, and it was love at first sight! Even though it was a body another 'older sister' had stayed in briefly, I just couldn't resist! I dove right in! Then I got scolded badly after fighting with that sister's remnants!]
"..."
When Simon silently glared, she chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.
[Don't glare like that. We just follow our instincts.]
She flipped her own hand over as if bored, then rested it on the armrest of her throne. Simon asked again,
"What's going to happen to Sasha now?"
[Even if it was brief, I did choose her as a Saint, so I'll heal her. After that, I'll go find a new girl.]
Simon felt relieved inside.
"You're really leaving Sasha, right?"
[Yes. Even if I leave, her life won't be in danger, but the backlash from forcing her body to overclock with drugs means she'll never be able to use holiness again. Whether that's a good or bad thing for her, I don't know.]
At that moment, cracks began to appear in the white world.
[Ah, it's about time we said goodbye.]
The Essence of Purification's eyes curved like a fox's.
[As an aside, I would never, ever think of dwelling in a boy's body, but~ if certain 'older sisters' learn about your abilities, they might be drawn to you.]
"Not interested."
Simon said firmly.
"Whoever's body you possess next, I'll stop you then too."
[Is that so?]
The corners of her lips curled upward.
[I'll look forward to it.]
Fwoooosh!
The pure-white world shattered, and Simon returned to his own world.
Simon felt some intangible energy leaving his body. His eyes, hair color, and hair length all reverted to normal.
That departing energy wrapped around Sasha's body, then flared into white flames before vanishing.
Before he knew it, the needle marks, scars, unnaturally bulging veins, and bloodstains on Sasha's body had all completely disappeared.
Simon gently lifted her into his arms and leapt down from the collapsing tree.
Rumble rumble rumble!
In midair, Simon's invisible cloak fluttered as he glanced back. The moment Sasha was out, the tree's form disintegrated without a trace.
The war was over.
* * *
Several dozen kilometers away from Kelso Village, where the Figaro incident had occurred.
A fierce battle was also underway here.
"Urgh...!"
Paladins dispatched from the Holy Federation groaned as they lay sprawled across the ground. The carriages they had presumably traveled in were completely destroyed.
While everyone else writhed in pain on the ground, one person stood tall, completely unharmed.
The woman in the black robe—clearly the one who had single-handedly taken down all the Paladins—sat cross-legged atop a hill of unconscious Paladins, completely at ease.
"Y-you...! Just who sent you to do this?!"
A bearded Paladin gasped out.
The entire advance squad of Paladins, sent with orders to bring back the Saint, had been caught in her ambush. Even the 'coordinate relic' meant to teleport the Paladin elite unit had been destroyed by her.
The only information about her was that she was a Priest, and that she wore a robe black as the night sky.
Her hood was pulled low, and a cat mask covered her face, making it impossible to know her identity.
When no answer came, the bearded Paladin spoke again between gasps.
"You seem to be a Priest of the Federation yourself. We came here to protect the newly born Saint! We're on the same side, so why are you doing this?!"
Only then did she react.
Rising from her seat, she shoved both hands into her robe's pockets and strolled unhurriedly toward the Paladin.
"Reason?"
Whack!
She kicked him in the face, knocking him out cold.
"There ain't one."
After finishing off every last Paladin, she simply walked away from them.
Turning her back on the fallen Paladins, she removed her cat mask. Silvery-white hair spilled down like a dream, revealing the face of a young girl.
'I really do all sorts of ridiculous things.'
Lete grumbled to herself as she walked on.
* * *
The situation was quickly cleaned up.
Before the barrier was completely broken, Simon, Prince, and Feer moved busily to erase as many traces of the Legion as possible.
They recalled the skeletons and corpse spiders into the massive subspace, and even the remains of destroyed or damaged undead were all moved into subspace so that no evidence remained.
[Do I have to go in too?]
Prince, who had pestered Simon for three handshakes, now wore a deeply dissatisfied expression.
"...Of course."
[Subspace is cramped! I thought I could have some fun outside Deathland for once!]
"I'll make time for you later, just go in for now. People will notice you."
After the entire Legion withdrew, Simon placed the unconscious Sasha at the village entrance where the incoming people would immediately find her, then retreated. He hid himself behind a thickly wooded tree and waited.
A short while later, the barrier fully broke, and Blark, along with the necromancers of Vengeance, came rushing in, out of breath.
"Here! There's a survivor here!"
The Vengeance agents spotted Sasha and ran over. Hiding behind a tree, watching to make sure they took her away safely, Simon's eyes widened in surprise.
No wonder, among the people who entered the barrier, there was a familiar face.
"Sasha!!"
It was Kamibarez. Behind her were Dick and Maelyn.
Crying, Kamibarez rushed over and hugged the unconscious Sasha.
'When… when did they get all the way here?'
And at the very back, there was Simon himself—or rather, Erzebet transformed into Simon.
She glanced his way, shook her head, and lifted her shoulders in a helpless shrug.
'…Hah, looks like even Erzebet couldn't stop them.'
Just as Simon had ridden Akallion to rescue Sasha, the other three members of the team had also decided they couldn't just sit by while she was kidnapped.
Dick had modified a wagon from the logging village, borrowed a horse, and come all the way to Kelso.
'…Can't stop any of them.'
Still, Simon felt a growing fondness for teammates who had made the exact same judgment as him.
At the same time, he was glad he had managed to take down Figaro in time.
If Figaro had absorbed all the villagers' strength and then walked out after removing the barrier, the Vengeance agents—and the team members—would have been dragged into the fight.
Meanwhile, the Vengeance agents were busy assessing the situation.
"What about Figaro?"
"We're searching the remains now. Judging from the remnants of holiness entering the stage of dissipation, it seems he's dead, but we'll keep looking."
"…So it was the necromancer who cut through the barrier."
While the agents worked to clean up, Simon confirmed that Sasha had safely been handed over to the medics.
'Time to go back.'
Just as Simon was about to slip out of the barrier—
"W-wait a second!"
A familiar voice rang from behind him.
Realizing only now that one of the four teammates had gone missing, Simon felt a chill run down his spine.
'No way.'
First, he calmly moved his hand to check that Feer's helmet was properly covering his face, then rolled his eyes to glance back.
Maelyn was there, breathless, standing right behind him.
"Lord Feon! It's you, isn't it?"
This was bad. Warning lights flashed in his head nonstop.
"When I heard about a necromancer cutting through the barrier with a white sword, I was certain!"
Maelyn clasped her hands together, taking a step closer.
'W-what do I do?'
Cold sweat ran down his back.
Getting exposed as Feon at this timing would be the worst possible outcome. There were Vengeance necromancers here, and Magnus could start targeting his teammates under the pretext of hunting for clues.
"Who are you? Why do you always show up at the scenes we're at? Just say something…!"
Simon kicked off the ground, raising Darkness on his feet, and bolted into the air. Startled, Maelyn ran forward, but he was already atop the treetops.
'No doubt.'
Her eyes gleamed.
That shimmering, dark-blue Darkness on his feet, she had seen and felt it countless times living together in Keyzen.
Simon's unique Darkness, the one no one else could imitate.
A shiver ran through Maelyn.
'Could it really be Feon…?!'
"Maelyn?"
Startled, she turned her head toward the sudden voice beside her.
"You vanished all of a sudden, I was worried. What happened?"
Her pupils trembled.
Simon was standing right in front of her.
No sooner had Feon shot up above than Simon had appeared.
If they were the same person, would that even be possible? Her gaze lifted upward.
"!"
High above, Feon was flying out of the city with his cloak billowing in the wind. When she lowered her head, Simon was standing right there beside her.
'…'
She had been so sure.
Striding forward, Maelyn grabbed Simon's hand firmly.
"Hey! Use Darkness."
"Darkness? All of a sudden?"
"Don't ask why. Just do it!"
With a look that said she found the request ridiculous, Simon nonetheless obediently raised Darkness in his palm.
'Ah.'
As expected, dark-blue.
This wasn't a fake, or an illusion from Seiyur—this was definitely Simon himself.
'R-right. There's no way they're the same person.'
She pressed her hand to her forehead.
It had only been a fleeting delusion, but to think she'd believed Feon was Simon! Just thinking about it again made her sigh at her own foolishness.
"What's wrong?"
When Simon stepped closer, Maelyn's embarrassment deepened, her face flushing red.
"N-no, nothing! Let's head back! Ahaha!"
She hurried ahead.
Meanwhile, Erzebet, still in Simon's form, quietly placed a hand over her chest and let out a sigh of relief.