The Priest of Corruption

With a loud whirring sound, a rapidly spinning saw blade pierced a man's throat. Torn pieces of flesh flew out as the Immortalium saw blades effortlessly ground human bones into dust.

“Charge! Don't panic, just charge! We're only up against one enemy!"

The atmosphere, carefully crafted, began to shift subtly. This wasn't a good sign.

A blade gleamed menacingly as it aimed for my side. I hadn't yet managed to pull out the Butcher. My grip on the Butcher tightened.

Whirring again, the Butcher, having split the man's body, emerged, tearing through the body of the pursuer who had dug into my side. His bisected body fell limply to the floor.

However, another attack swiftly followed. It was physically impossible to counter with the Butcher. I extended my empty left hand, catching the blade that had lodged itself into my ribs. The finely honed blade pierced my palm.

Blood. My blood flowed for the first time.

“Priest Marnak!"

Lady Dachia screamed upon seeing my blood. I raised the Butcher in my right hand before her scream had even ceased.

Whirring once more, the ravenous metal blades eagerly consumed the enemy's neck. The head was severed in an instant. I crushed the head underfoot and tossed the sword from my left hand.

Thud!

The man's body, with the sword handle embedded in his head, collapsed onto the floor. I brushed off my bloody left hand. A wound like this would heal during the fight.

I spoke with a grin. I had to show them that I held the advantage in a one-versus-many fight. I needed to deter them from even considering attacking me.

“Didn't I warn you? A pack of rats like you can't stop me."

“Attack!"

Regrettably, the enemies were better trained than I had anticipated. It seemed my words hadn't fazed them.

“Die!"

A sharp voice echoed from behind me, accompanied by a wildly pulsating surge of magical power. Flames erupted from Lady Dachia's fingertips, sweeping violently through the hallway.

“Block that right now!"

“Move!! !"

A surge of magical power erupted in a counter-attack. A mass of water, summoned by mana, swallowed Dachia's flames. The enemy had a wizard too.

There was no time to stand idle. I swiftly picked up a fallen sword from the floor and charged. I plunged into the chaotic clash of water and fire. The flames seared my skin.

I strained my left arm to its limit, the pent-up power clamoring for release.

As I emerged through the flames, the enemies' eyes widened in astonishment. “What the!!!"

I paid no mind to their shock. After identifying the woman at the center of the magic, I unleashed the force I had been holding back.

Crash!

The sword flew with explosive speed, crushing the enemy wizard's skull. As the water that had quelled Dachia's fire vanished, a raging inferno consumed the hallway. “Aaaaaaaaaaahh!!!" “Ahhhhhh!!!"

The acrid smell of burning flesh filled the air. I too was caught in the blaze. The agony of the fire searing my flesh echoed in my mind. I silently carried out my task amidst the pain. In the flames, the Butcher let out another shriek.

Whaaaaaaaaaaang!!!

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! ! !"

I swung and swung again. I seized the moment of the enemy's confusion and wielded the Butcher without hesitation. Charred human body parts were sliced and scattered about. Dachia's bewildered voice echoed from behind. She seemed taken aback to see me aflame.

“Priest Marnak!!! I-I'll extinguish the fire right now..."

“lust keep! Keep making fire!!! I'm fine!"

I was continuously ablaze, running amidst the roaring flames. My body was in a constant cycle of regeneration and destruction.

“Aaaaaaaaaaahhh! ! !"

“H-Help me!!! Help me!!! Please, help me!!!"

“It hurts! It hurts so much!!!"

But the enemies only burned. They lacked the ability to regenerate. I leapt into their midst and mercilessly slaughtered them, who didn't dare to even consider rebellion.

The Butcher ran rampant, grinding everything it touched to dust.

By the time my regeneration struggled to keep pace with the destruction caused by the flames, the fire slowly died out. The sound of Dachia's hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway.

“Priest Marnak!"

She closed the distance in an instant, grabbing my face and weeping.

“Are you okay? Your face is a mess! I shouldn't have followed your orders! It hurts, doesn't it?" 'Kill!!!'

Mother struggled relentlessly, blaming her for my pain. I patted her, trying to muster a smile. My burned skin twisted into a small, painful grin.

“It'll be fine soon. Even the completely burnt hair will grow back in a few hours."

As I touched my hair, the charred strands crumbled. I would be bald for a while. Tears welled in her golden eyes, filled with regret.

“It hurt, didn't it?"

It damn well did. The pain was intense, and the itchiness of the new flesh was unbearable. If I told her the truth, she would cry even more, so I couldn't.

I simply answered with a quiet smile.

“It didn't hurt that much. Stop crying. Did you get hurt?"

Lady Dachia quickly wiped her tears and shook her head, her voice slightly nasal from crying.

“I didn't..."

“Then we should escape. We don't know when the enemy will come through the collapsed wall."

“Okay..."

We ran, trampling over the pile of charred corpses.

“Ugh..."

A man, with only his lower half intact, was crawling away. Upon seeing us, he cried out in a mournful voice.

“P-Please, help me! I have a family waiting for me..."

“Once you draw your sword, you must take responsibility. Don't beg."

“P-Please..."

Swoosh.

A pure white bone sword sliced through the man's throat. Dachia, wiping the blood from her blade, regarded the lifeless body with icy eyes. She subtly bit her lip, turning to look at me.

“Did I do the right thing?"

“If you're questioning the morality of your actions, I can't say. But..."

I offered a smile before continuing.

“I doubt that man ever showed mercy to those who pleaded with him."

She nodded, her expression softening.

“Let's get out of this cursed arena! I won't be anywhere near an arena for a while!" “Me neither." ***

Crack.

The head of another evil god worshipper was bitten off. The toothed tentacles rumbled as they devoured the human skull. Writhing Curiosity, the demon, smiled.

“There's only one left."

Talan attempted to use his powers to halt the demon, but it proved insufficient. He had been calmly managing the situation until now, and he voiced his thoughts.

“This is too much. She's too damn powerful. How long has she been alive?"

The worth of the physical body that the demon possessed increased over time. In the early stages of possession, it might have necessitated the sacrifice of all the body's internal organs. However, for a body that was hundreds of years old, a single small finger would be enough.

Writhing Curiosity merely gazed into Talan's eyes. Her eyes were a bottomless abyss.

The demon's mouth slowly opened.

“Since you'll be crossing over soon, I'll give you a special answer. You want to know how long I've been living in this body?"

The demon chuckled briefly and spoke in a playful tone.

“I've inhabited this body even before the first 'Son of Corruption' was born." “What does that mean?"

“I've answered your question, now it's your turn to answer mine."

The demon extended her pale finger and pointed at Talan's head.

“What are you carrying around in your head? The patchwork reminds me of the 'Sewing Needle'. Are you a priest who serves it? Answer me quickly. I answered one of your questions, after all."

“Answer."

“Answer."

“Answer."

The tentacles emerging from the demon's back whimpered in unison, repeating the same word. Their strange harmony contained something that scratched at the inside of living intelligence.

Escape was impossible. Talan made up his mind.

“Oh, 'Sewing Needle'!"

An enormous amount of divinity poured out of Talan's head. Transparent threads and needles made of divinity sewed the bodies of the fallen evil god worshippers to Talan's body.

Writhing Curiosity didn't try to stop this defenseless union. She simply smiled, satisfying her curiosity.

“You use a strange technique. Did you bring some part of the god you worship to this land? Kids these days work really hard, huh? Oh!"

Writhing Curiosity slammed her palm on the floor and smirked.

“I think I understand why you guys collect holy relics sealed with the Divinity of Corruption!"

A monster with ten human beings attached to it stood on the floor. The demon smiled broadly and shouted.

“You guys are going to drop some part of your 'god' on this earth! You're going to break the long-held heavenly balance! Aren't you? 'Sewing Needle'?"

The divinity, which briefly fell to the ground, borrowed the monster's mouth and spat out anger. - Shut-up! De-mon! You-pa-ra-site!

Writhing Curiosity chuckled.

“You still get angry when we find out your intentions, huh? You didn't disrespect us back then, though." - Kill-the-de-mon's shell! My-nee-dle!

Dozens of mouths on the monster's body stitched from a human answered at the same time.

“Yes, my God."

“Yes, my God."

“Yes, my God."

“Yes, my God."

“Yes, my God."

Double-digit power burst out simultaneously with the monster's faithful answer. ***

After leaving the exit, Dachia and I were greeted by dozens of waiting pursuers.

No, to be precise, it was a pile of their corpses.

“Ugh!" Swoosh.

The head of the last survivor fell. The eyes of the blue-haired woman, who had lightly brushed off the blood on her sword, turned to Dachia and me.

'KILL!!!!!!'

A scream to run away immediately. However, my face was already caught in her terribly blue eyes.

Shit.

Bang!

Without a word, the woman raised her sword and ran toward me. I hurriedly turned on the Butcher's engine and shouted.

“Dachia! Don't do anything!!!"

Whaaaaaaaang!!!

The Butcher, as always, let out a harsh scream in response to my call.

The blue-haired woman, who was a bit far, was already under my nose and swung her sword without hesitation. I clenched my teeth and struck the Butcher.

Clank!

A power far beyond what a human could create was contained in the woman's sword. Unable to hold on to a single collision, I dropped the Butcher.

Whaaaaaaaaang!!!

The Butcher cried out in the air with a mournful voice.

Thud!

My body was kicked and rolled to the floor. The blue-haired woman quickly approached and, without hesitation, lowered her sword.

Swoosh.

A piercing blue blade passed by my ear and pierced the floor. The woman trampled on my chest and spoke softly.

“Your sword skills haven't improved at all. You're still a fool who relies solely on brute strength and acts recklessly."

“Don't you do the same thing?"

The Blue Flame of the Holy Fire Church flashed her white teeth in a smile.

“Hey, my only disciple, do you think you can defeat me even if I held back my strength?"

I remained silent, acknowledging the truth in her words.

“Answer me."

My swordsmanship teacher, Pridiya, demanded, pressing firmly against my chest.

“You ungrateful disciple, who betrayed your divine master and fled."

I retorted, a hint of resentment in my voice.

“Wasn't it you, Master, who told me to seize any opportunity while you were tormenting me?"

Master narrowed her eyes at me.

“I told you to seize an opportunity when it presented itself. I didn't mean for you to steal the key to the relic and run off with it while I was away."

“If we're going to argue semantics, I merely seized an opportunity in the broadest sense!"