The Grill-Wielding Saintess of the Dead

Chapter 126 – I Missed You So Much

The fragment of the Demon King could not defeat the Saintess of the Dead, who possessed the power to destroy him in the previous world.

Even if all the fragments were combined and the main body descended, it was uncertain if they could win, especially in this world called Earth, where it wasn’t the right time to act and they still needed to conserve their strength.

If they hastily used a host to fight against the Saintess of the Dead, there was a high risk that all the effort they had built up until now would collapse in an instant.

Therefore, the fragment changed its plan.

[If we can’t win, we just need to bring someone who can.]

Thus, the fragment decided to hide within the soon-to-come dimensional rift.

It stirred the doppelgangers that lived there, eroding the dimension, and simultaneously melting the dungeon.

Like the amorphous doppelgangers, the melted dungeon could invade any world and blend into it, making the dimension increasingly unstable.

And it spread primal desires.

To summon an entity that could respond to its malevolent energy, one that could defeat the hated Saintess of the Dead, a being from another dimension capable of killing the shards of God.

It succeeded in bringing forth a version of Shia from a world with a different outcome, a different despair.

[It’s done.]

The fragment rejoiced.

The most terrifying enemy to it, and the most hated foe of the Saintess of the Dead, a being that had reached the extreme opposite end of the spectrum, had been summoned.

Now, the shard of God would be destroyed by one who was identical to it.

[Come, summon me, and I shall answer.]

The fragment embedded within Lirisia’s body, guiding her to this side, screamed.

Let’s join hands.

Are you not enough by yourself?

Then I shall lend you power.

Witch of the Dark Star.

Quickly, take my hand.

Craaaack!!

[!?]

At that moment, the fragment felt its body being crushed.

The shard embedded in her heart was grabbed by something and dragged out into the world.

Crack!

Snap!

Crunch!

[…!]

St…stop… it….!

What are you doing?

“Do you know how many things have toyed with me? Of course, as a saintess, I sometimes let it happen even though I knew… I’ve been used here and there like a pushover… Sigh.”

Crack!

Gulp!

I… I guided you here.

“Oh, I’m grateful for the guidance.”

Crunch!

Gulp…

Stop.

“But, you know… though I’m now the Witch of the Dark Star, I was originally a saintess, remember?”

Chomp, chomp.

Stop it.

“Do you really think I’d just stand by and let you, the Demon King, appear before me… and do nothing?”

Crack!

Puhaha….

Thanks for the meal.

Crunch!

○○○○○

[Miracle – Great Healing]

Leaving behind the shattered fragments mixed with ice, Shia immediately embraced the frozen Yeonhwa and cast the miracle of Great Healing.

With just a single miracle, all harm was undone, and Yeonhwa’s body was restored to its peak condition. When she returned to her usual state, Shia finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Yeonhwa! Yeonhwa!”

“Ha, ugh… cough!”

“Are you okay? How many fingers am I holding?”

“…I’m fine, Unnie. Thanks to the miracle you used, I’m in even better shape than usual, so you don’t need to worry.”

Yes, Shia possessed a powerful healing miracle that could revive someone who had just died.

But that didn’t mean she could remain unaffected after seeing someone dear to her frozen and shattered right before her eyes.

She had endured over 60 years of harsh experiences in the previous world.

No matter how much she tried to fix things, no matter how much she tried not to care.

For Shia, who lived the life of the Saintess of the Dead, the most difficult and painful things were the innocent people’s suffering and the wounds of those she considered precious.

Supporting Yeonhwa as she stood up, Shia finally took a look around.

It was a complete wasteland.

Whatever that was, carrying the destructive miracle imbued with such terrifying malevolence, the dungeon that had barely resembled a city was now no different from a barren land.

The cracks in the space were still there. The buildings that once stood tall in the bustling streets were obliterated to the point where even their rubble didn’t remain.

[Ha, hahahaha….!]

“….!”

However.

I heard a laugh I never wanted to hear.

The laughter echoed from all around, eerily similar to my own voice, causing me to shut my mouth reflexively.

[Hey, over here.]

As if she couldn’t hold back her amusement any longer, she spoke to me.

[You know, right?]

Craaaack!

[With just that?]

The frozen fragments began to melt.

[With a stroke of luck like that?]

The flesh writhed.

From the ground and dust, flesh swelled and twisted into living jaws that devoured each other and fused.

[Did you really think.]

“……”

[We.]

Did you think we’d die?

[Heh, heh heh heh…. You know, Shia. I am you.]

Are you serious?

Did you really think we would die from something like this?

[No, no.]

If we were going to die.

If we could die….

[We would have died long ago.]

This wretched body.

This body that deserves to die after committing such horrible sins.

This Saintess of the Dead wouldn’t have existed in this world long ago.

I would have already crushed my own skull over and over again, dying long ago.

I would have been held in the warm arms of the merciful Mother of Death, crying my heart out.

“You know that, right?”

Amidst the writhing flesh, Lirisia, reborn, with black tears streaming down her face, smiled as she always did.

Just a moment ago, the black malevolent energy that occasionally dripped from her eyes now enveloped her entire body.

Even while embracing that enormous malevolence, Lirisia was clearly still in control of her mind.

[Flesh Miracle – Grand Rupture]

“….!”

[Miracle – Sanctuary of the Orphan]

“Unnie!!!”

Ugh…!

From the writhing flesh, which hadn’t fully merged yet, came an explosion of a miracle. Shia hurriedly expanded her sanctuary.

Unprepared for the shock, Shia felt as though her insides were being torn apart.

[Grand Rupture]

Boom!

[Grand Rupture]

[Grand Rupture]

Boom!

Boom!

Boooom!!

This is bad.

The shock is much stronger than before.

Whatever Lirisia did, the malevolent energy radiating from her had grown even thicker.

No, it wasn’t just thicker.

The depth of that malevolence was now so overwhelming that it was terrifying, bursting forth on a scale that felt like a different dimension.

She was now freely firing the Grand Rupture miracle, something that shouldn’t have been repeatable, as if it were nothing, relentlessly pressing Shia.

“As much as it’s sudden, it’s really quite charming. Fufufu…”

The shattered fragments were reassembling.

What I thought had been destroyed now wore an even deeper smile.

Buried in flesh, tentacles, and the foul black malevolence that spewed like sewage, Lirisia, with an exhilarated expression, moved forward.

“Haa, haa….”

“Hey, I have one more question….”

“Stay away from Shia Unnie!!”

[Ice Restraint…]

[Flesh Miracle – Grand Rupture]

“Gah!?”

With a light gesture, the miracle of Grand Rupture was unleashed, and Yeonhwa was sent flying far away.

Though Shia’s Sanctuary of the Orphan absorbed the injury on Yeonhwa’s behalf, the physical shock wasn’t completely nullified. Unable to resist, Yeonhwa crashed into the shattered debris.

‘Yeonhwa..!’

Get up right now.

You’re a saintess.

Save people.

What are you doing…!

“Do you really think you can save everyone while leaving me behind….?”

At that moment, fire and steel erupted.

From Lirisia’s shoulder, rusted steel bones sprouted like massive wings.

Between the rusted steel, flames of darkness rose.

Calamity had descended.

The black flames and malevolence exploded, spreading and engulfing everything beneath her feet.

The soil rotted.

Metal corroded.

The living perished.

The same golden eyes as Shia’s gleamed with a chilling, inorganic feel, and her pale, corpse-like skin turned black under the cloak of black flames and malevolence.

“You know.”

Heh heh heh….

“I’m letting those chunks of meat breathe because I’m still playing with you….”

Strangely enough, it was true.

If Lirisia and Shia were truly identical beings, or if she had the same power or greater, Shia, as she was now, couldn’t stop Lirisia.

When the Saintess of the Dead lost her humanity, reason, and morality, and indulged in malevolence and flesh, Shia knew very well what could happen.

The only reason there hadn’t been any casualties so far, and why Lirisia hadn’t aimed for the shelters, was because her attention had been solely focused on Shia.

Ttak!

Snap!

Snaaaap!

Snap, snap, snap!

Lirisia’s tentacles ground their teeth, as if they could no longer suppress their hunger.

The black malevolent energy dripped like saliva from the teeth of the tentacles.
Wherever the malevolence touched the ground, it burned black.

There was no time to think long.

Boom!

“Oh my?”

Shia decided not to consider the state of her body, already strained from blocking the Miracle of the Great Rupture.

The white holy power cleaved through the darkness.

The shining doll pierced through the malevolence, causing a brilliant explosion.

Boom!!

The sound came slightly delayed.

In the massive shockwave, like a bomb going off, the Witch of the Dark Star and the Saintess of the Dead stared at each other.

An arm was swung.

Flesh was crushed.
Malevolence splattered.

And it broke apart.

Blood, from who knows where, flowed like a river, and the tentacles tangled together, biting and tearing at each other.

Boom!

Bang!

Tangled.

Hitting.

Smashing, exploding.

It repeated over and over.

They attacked, killed, and attacked again, knowing everything about each other.

Once again, with a body imbued with holy power, Shia threw her fist.

Yet, despite wielding the power to kill anything, Shia couldn’t bring down the Witch of the Dark Star.

“You, you finally understand now.”

As their hands touched, the Witch of the Dark Star sneered.

“You didn’t really think you weren’t going to kill me, did you?”

Ah, so that’s why your punches are so light!

That’s why you still haven’t crossed the line!!

Boom!

“Ugh!?”

“Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!”

The tentacles.

The tentacles…

Tentacles larger and more numerous than Shia’s overwhelmed her, biting, binding, and pulling at her body.

“You’re still clinging to the lifeline?”

“You’re still holding on to hope!”

“You’re still grasping that pathetic light!!”

You dare not try to kill me?

“Hehehe, haha…ahh… That’s too funny. Did you think I didn’t try that too?
Did you think I wouldn’t have done the same? Do you think I didn’t struggle?
Your future is me. I am soon to be you!”

In a situation where you’d need to fight with your life on the line, you thought you could subdue me and offer me forgiveness?

Did you plan to grant me forgiveness and understanding after hearing my tragic and heart-wrenching story!?

How dare you.

You still want to play the saintess!!!

“Ah, or perhaps it’s not enough for you yet.”

Lirisia’s gaze turned toward where Yeonhwa had been thrown.

“Yes, let’s start by devouring that child.”

“….!”

Shia’s eyes widened as she was bound by the tentacles.

What a good reaction!

“And after that, let’s devour those clueless humans who still have no idea what’s happening.”

There’s plenty of human meat around here, isn’t there? Right?

“It’ll be delicious. You know that, don’t you?”

Why are you making that face?

As if you’ve never experienced real hunger.

“The most delicious thing isn’t a demon or a monster.”

But you know that too, don’t you?

“The most delicious thing is humans, isn’t it?”

There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as ripping out a warm, beating heart and eating it alive.

Sinking your teeth into a woman’s neck and sucking her blood is quite satisfying too.

The flesh of a child is particularly soft.

How about it? Doesn’t it make your mouth water?

“………….”

“Heh heh heh, what could you possibly do, trying to offer forgiveness instead of killing me?”

And in that moment, the tentacles that had been biting into Shia’s body were torn apart in an instant.

Thud!

“Huh….ra…”

[Did you think I couldn’t…?]

Crack

Craaack!

I don’t care if you look down on me.

I don’t care if you insult me.

I don’t care if you mock me.

Belittle me.

Think of me as insignificant.

Treat me as worthless.

Even if your goal is to hurt me or to kill me, it doesn’t matter at all.

If there’s conflict, we can solve it through conversation.

If it’s a situation where we have to cross swords, in the end, one side will die, and the situation will be resolved.

There’s no need to hold a grudge.

As a saintess, there’s no need to harbor dark and bitter emotions like malevolent energy.

That’s what I thought.

It doesn’t matter.

[If you stand before me…]

You would dare to bring pain to those tied to me?

[You declare that you’ll kill my people?]

That you’ll consume them, leaving not even the peace of death?

And you declare that as a saintess?

Don’t make me laugh.

Fine, good.

If that’s what you want, fine.

I will not…

[…forgive you.]

Crrunch!

Craaack!

I will cross the line.

Let me cross it.

The moment that thought crossed her mind, Shia felt her reason being gnawed away.

But that was fine.

She could no longer forgive the Witch of the Dark Star, the malevolence that dared to claim it was another version of her.

Don’t cross the line.

Menelapie and Teresa had told her that one day.

If you cross that line…

I don’t know what will happen.

Now, look to the sky.

It’s burning, blackened.

Now, look to the ground.

It’s teeming with a foul stench like sewage.

Now, look at yourself.

You’ve fallen just like me.

You’ve fallen with me.

“Heh heh heh… what, you can do it after all?”

Ah, after all, you are just like me.

It’s pitiful how you struggle in the filthy sludge, so much so that I’m jealous.

I’m jealous that you’re still clinging to the lifeline of light.

I’m jealous that you’re still so righteous!

[You think you don’t understand me? No, you do.]

That’s why dragging you down to the same place as me brings me so much joy.

[You just don’t understand yet.]

The overflowing malevolence suddenly spread out, pressing down on the Witch of the Dark Star.

So, you’ve been hiding this.

Once you cross the line, you are this ugly and beautiful!

“Ah, my adorable junior. The younger me. Today, we will cross that line together.”

Crossing the line is such a joy.

You just don’t know yet how thrilling it is to free yourself from desire and pleasure…

You just can’t even imagine!

“Come, come here.”

Fall with me.

Let’s become evil together.

Let’s become beasts together!

Let’s bring down that detestable star together!

The stars that mock us…

The stars that curse us…

The stars that laugh at us forever!!!

Or, it’s fine if you don’t come with me.

Eat me.

Devour me and grow.

Eat me and become evil!

Eat me and devour those stars!!

[You think I can’t do it!!!!!]

After all.

You can’t be without a burden, can you?

“Shia.”

Was it an illusion?

“I told you.”

A familiar voice…

“A long time ago, you made a vow. That your sword is mine.”

Who are you?

“So, don’t fight without a sword.”

What was this?

An illusion?

A memory?

Or a dream?

Shia saw a rose petal softly brushing against her cheek.

—The empire’s sword flows like water, graceful, blooming like a flower.

But it wasn’t an ordinary rose petal.

It was of a golden hue, and it crumbled to dust before she could even touch it.

—This sword, I call it the “Flower Sword.”

—It could be a flame, or it could be a softly blossoming flower.

But there were countless petals.

More than the crumbling petals.

The petals that bloomed again were so beautiful that they covered Shia’s world.

—Its form changes depending on the viewer’s heart.

—Tell me, what form did the sword, Menelapie, that I gave you take?

As the golden roses scattered, Shia saw the figure she was more familiar with than anyone.

—The sword I gave you, Menelapie, how did it appear to you?

“Hehe, why do you have that expression?”

[Ah….]

The malevolent sludge that had been streaming from her eyes had now transformed into clear tears.

The same roses as back then.

The radiant golden roses.

One day, when you came to me, you were more brilliant than gold, so dazzling it hurt my eyes.

The light you brought to me was so bright it was blinding.

Even though I couldn’t see anything in front of me, I couldn’t close my eyes.

That light was so beautiful.

That light was so enchanting.

That light was so lovely.

Just thinking about your light, I could momentarily forget the pain, the sadness, the suffering, even the hunger and starvation that were consuming me.

So, I always thought.

If I saw you again, if I could really see you again…

I hoped I could see that brilliantly blooming golden rose once more.

Embracing that rose in my arms…

I hoped you would come to greet me again, just like always.

I wished we could meet often before we died.

Even though I knew it was meaningless, I had those selfish desires.

Because I knew we would never meet again.

And so, I only longed for you.

Even when I reached out with my hand, I knew no one would take it.

But, ah…..

When you suddenly take my hand like this…

When you reach out with the hand I thought I would never hold again…

[Ah… Ah…. Ah…..!]

I can’t help but cry.

How pathetic for a saintess.

Crying in front of the Hero.

Ah, yes.

You were always my Hero.

The only one, my eternal Hero, who would embrace me and comfort me when I was sad, when I was in pain…

“Did you miss me?”

…my one and only Hero.