I didn’t hear what she said next. Cion captured all my attention as she suddenly slipped in front of me.
“Cion...”
Time seemed to slow to a crawl.
I stared into Cion’s emotionless eyes as she closed in on me.
Could I intercept her? No, it was too late.
I’d already said everything I could think of to say. The saint understood her own foolishness.
Maybe it was fine to let it end like this. Even if I died here, that woman would wipe Cion clean of the knowledge that she’d killed me. They’d move forward into a future without me in it—the merciful saint and the demon-slaying Hero.
Maybe Cion might even be better off that way. I was nothing but a bride of the Gods, a slave of the Church; she’d be able to save far more people at the saint’s side than at mine. And perhaps Cion would be able to succeed where I’d failed and guide the saint onto a better path.
So I— Even if I disappeared from her side, I’d just—
“GRAAAAAH!”
“Wha—?”
A shadow leaped up from my feet to knock Cion’s blade aside. A kick came swinging in between us, sending Cion’s body flying.
“You can talk shit once you’re dead!!!”
Grabbing me by the collar, fangs bared in my face, was Veil Croitzen—the Deathwatcher.
“If you were alive...you should have run away,” I said feebly.
“Fuck that! You think I’d abandon a couple brats to save my own ass?!” the blood-soaked killer yelled as she roughly tossed me aside. “I’ve always hated demons. Fucking despise ’em. And now she’s telling me I’m a demon? I wanna die right this damn second! But y’know what?! No fucking way am I just gonna kick it and let that bitch get the last word!!!”
As she raged and snarled, more and more blood spurted out of her veins, and more of the tattered shadows covering her body fell away. I could see viscera peeking out of the wound on her abdomen, and the pool of blood at her feet just continued to grow. Still, she kept on shouting.
“I hate your damn guts!” she roared, pointing at the saint. “Assholes like you with your sad-sack faces, acting like you’re the most miserable people in the whole world—you fucking piss me off!!!”
She fixed the saint with a glare of pure disdain. “I’m not like you. I don’t think I’m miserable, and I sure as hell don’t need you to save me! There’s loads of people like me out there, and they’d all say the same thing: Get off your damn high horse, ’cause you don’t know shit!”
Her frenzied declaration of war left both me and the saint at a loss. These weren’t the words of a woman on death’s door. They were too fierce, too sharp, too radiant with light.
“You can take care of your own damn wishes. We don’t need anyone protecting us—we’re not that weak. Ain’t that right, Miss Bride?”
She pulled my bible from the shadows and held it out to me, chuckling with the grin of someone who’d seen right through me.
“Indeed,” I said slowly, taking the bible from her. “You’re quite right.”
The two of us stood side by side, braced for battle as we faced the Blind-Eyed Saint.
“Why...? Why must you—?”
“Because we’re going to live like the fools we are!” I replied.
Heavily injured as we were, fighting her was sheer madness—but if we retreated, we’d have no hope and no future. All we could do was step forward.
“There’s nothing to be gained by giving up, after all.”
Even if my hopes were selfish and conceited, I’d still reach out my hand. Even if my dreams were impossible, I still wouldn’t give up. If prayer wouldn’t grant me what I wished for, then I’d just have to seize it myself. If there weren’t any Gods, then we’d just have to keep on fighting our way through life—fighting against this world and all its absurdity.
“When Cion— When the Hero starts moving, I’m going to disable all of your body’s limiters just for an instant. The feedback might kill you, but please try to hang in there.”
“Told you, didn’t I? I don’t die!”
“Good. Just don’t let me kill you.”
Our opponents were in peak condition, and we were at our limits. Using my dwindling reserves of mana to start up the formula, I cast an orison to heal myself and Veil. Fully healing our injuries would be flat-out impossible; instead, I focused on getting us stable enough to move at all. We’d just have to take out the saint in one hit.
Our odds were slim; Cion was going to intercept one of us, either me or Veil. That was fine, though. One of us had to reach that woman, no matter what. Even then, there were no guarantees we’d make it. It was a bad gamble, but we were out of options. We just had to go for it.
“Here goes.”
“Ready!”
Placing a hand on the taller woman’s body, I cast a stack of Physical Boost and Spec Boost on myself, and then—
“Limit—?”
“Ngh—!”
—Veil suddenly turned to face me; her arm shot out to shove me away, sending me sprawling to the floor.
“Aaagh!”
As I saw Cion’s blade run through the killer standing in my place, I finally processed what had happened.
Groaning in pain, Veil Croitzen tried to grab the sword in a shaky grip, but with an almost mocking air, the blade twisted and sliced through her. As her blood showered me, all I could do was look up in a daze.
“I am not so heartless as to ignore those who strive toward their own destruction.”
I hadn’t been able to perceive Cion at all. This was the power that had killed the Demon Lord—Cion’s perfect stealth ability. Even I couldn’t figure out the true nature of her skill, but one way or another, it was an utterly invisible strike.
I’d known full well that she could do that. I’d known, but...I’d forgotten? Just for that instant, I’d forgotten Cion’s power—forgotten that she was the Hero who’d vanquished the Demon Lord.
But the saint had forgotten as well. Not even Cion had noticed it.
As Cion turned to face me, she suddenly froze up, and her lifeless eyes glanced down at her own body. Countless shadows clung to her, wrapping around her arms, her legs, and her sword. Veil’s hands were gripping the hilt.
“I...don’t...die!”
She’d clearly been mortally wounded, but she kept on screaming through nothing but sheer force of will. Taking her shout as my signal, I leaped into action. Silencing my emotions, I charged forward, driven by pure necessity.
For the first time, I summoned up every bit of force I could muster and punched Cion right in the face. I gritted my teeth and punched her with all my might.
With a noise of confusion at the unexpected blow, she went flying and landed sprawled out on the altar. I saw Veil crumple to the ground beside me, but I kept on moving.
I’d punched Cion, Cion had attacked me after she’d promised to protect me... We could figure out who owed who later! Right now—
“O merciful Gods; ye who reign over good and evil, over all and one; masters of this world and all its laws...”
I prayed.
“Bestow your blessings upon this frail body!” I gritted out. “Grant me a miracle, that I might rise again...!”
The taste of blood spread through my mouth. I felt a fever rush through me, as though all my blood was boiling. It felt like I was being torn apart.
“I, child of man; I, child of the Gods; I, bride of the Gods, beseech you! I demand of you! Gods, grant me your loving kindness; grant me your miracles!”
I’m sure there aren’t any Gods in this world. But if, just maybe, there really are...then answer me!
“Let the love of the Gods be bestowed in equal measure upon every child of man!”
I don’t care what happens to my body... Just, please—!
As I recited the final words of my prayer, I felt every hair on my body stand on end. All of my senses were sharpening.
This was a huge gamble. I didn’t understand the logic behind how it worked, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to reproduce the effect at all. But as I sent an excess of mana into my body, trying to heal myself beyond what was needed, that directionless mana began to re-create my “missing” parts.
“Gah—!”
It hurt like hell, but it was working.
“You’re—” the saint started, confused.
“Yup... Aren’t they cute?” I gritted out.
Along with my ears and tail, I brandished my slightly lengthened claws and bared my sharpened fangs.
“I’m coming to save you.”
I charged toward the saint to free her from the cage she’d locked herself inside.