39. I taught at least one disciple really, really well
As Penelope touched the water, a strong shockwave erupted.
She compressed and pushed the water, but new water from the lake rushed back into the space.
“eeek…!”
Penelope, drenched all over, floated in the lake, trying to focus the gravitational field again to clear the surrounding water, but-
“It might be better not to do it recklessly~”
Penelope, sneering while hanging precariously on the cliff, prompted the activation of gravity forcefully as if urging Yudahee to somehow get through it. The result was profoundly gruesome.
Bang!
Pushing out and pulling in, pushing out and pulling in, pushing out and pulling in…
The aftermath of the swirling water hit Penelope hard, causing her to float like a shrimp, crouched with her body.
As the gravity field shook the space strongly, the immense water pressure turned into a tragedy shooting at herself like a water cannon.
If handled precisely, it could become a means to threaten the opponent, but for now, it was nothing more than a self-destructive weapon.
What Shub gave Penelope was just one power.
Handling it entirely was not only beyond the current capabilities of Penelope but also, would Yudahee give her time to adapt?
The use of gravity fields based on the atmosphere might have become familiar, but in an environment with completely different foundations such as density, movement, and the characteristics of liquids, there could only be constraints.
The terrain of a lake, which was not present in the previous arena, became a natural enemy to Penelope.
Especially when attached to an ability equivalent to her usual one involving the stomach.
Rather than wielding a sword, being wielded by a sword, the power she couldn’t handle became a poison.
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Penelope was exactly in that state.
Taking advantage of the gap where no additional gravity embraced her body or the tightly held Barasada, Yudahee sent her flying.
Penelope, realizing this fact as she embraced the boat on the water, tried to unfold the gravity field again but was a step too late.
Yudahee, who had long entered the danger zone beyond the negligible influence of the gravity field within 30cm, grabbed Penelope’s wrist.
Then, slowly leading Penelope, not towards the water’s edge.
Even if it was Penelope charmed by Shub, it was utterly bewildering.
In case she was unwilling to be dragged completely into the water, she even considered self-destruction…!
But in small quantities.
As the foot touched the ground and the water descended to waist height, the gaze of Yudahee changed, attempting to press down on Peneleope, but Yudahee had not come out without any thought.
As she pulled the grabbed wrist, Penelope came out, influenced by her own gravitational field.
Once again, aiming for Yudahee’s legs…
“The step should be here, right?”
This time, it got tangled with her body as well, leading to cancellation.
Next was the left arm, then the right hand, then the torso, then…
Once was a coincidence, but two or three times… the next movements were intentional.
Moving around while embracing each other was not much different from lovers dancing together.
“Still, it’s fortunate that it’s not too stiff. Is it better to silently follow, being deceived?”
Yudahee swept Penelope’s hair back.
Penelope, still unable to understand the situation, murmured… in a daze.
If she had been in her right mind, at that moment of getting close, she would have probably exclaimed, ‘Heeey! Wh-What are you trying to do!’
If he wanted, he could have killed her instantly.
Not by coming out of the water, but by dragging her in, competing with lung capacity, drowning her. Even at the point of allowing the approach, just stabbing a parasol into her head would have already secured a solo victory…
But then, what would happen to Shub, who had now possessed him, was uncertain.
Although Atlac Nacaya claimed to have withdrawn voluntarily, would Shub Niggurath, who seemed to be enjoying himself so much, return to the alien realm willingly?
No, there’s no way.
If that’s the case, then the course of action was already decided.
[2/100]
Sub Niğuras forcefully brought down that body adorned with a crest, sending it into forced recall before the match could end.
But before that, he dealt with Penelope Gendo a little.
“Now, Penelope, take a good look over there.”
Whether realizing that further attacks were futile, Penelope, who had been quietly standing embraced by Yudahee, followed the gesture and shifted her gaze.
“What’s there?”
In that spot was none other than Shub, vigorously engaging in land development work as if changing the map, facing Ni’aladiké and exchanging blows.
Meeting eyes with Shub like that, Penelope brought her hand to her forehead in response to Yudahee’s signal.
What Yudahee cast was a very simple spell.
Just as Ni’alatotep had once revealed the vulnerability of a monster dealing with gravity to him, this time Yudahee synchronized Penelope’s field of vision with his own.
They pressed their foreheads together.
Approaching in this way, it was a utilization ability that was useless if not used slowly… but the effect was certain.
The world Yudahee saw unfolded before Penelope.
The world, dyed in various colors, was incredibly clean and clear, not to mention the air, the movement of water, and even the tiny seeds of weeds floating in the air, all seemed to flow like a slow-motion.
It seemed like a world in a dream – but in the midst of it, darkness gathered far away.
There, standing, was Mamang, Shub Niğuras…
“…Mamang?”
Certainly, the emotions of wanting to see again, longing, wanting to be embraced in those arms should have come, but… why?
A sense of discomfort arose.
Discomfort, discomfort, discomfort…!!!
Shouldn’t feel, fear wrapped around her, and an unknown tension enveloped Penelope’s entire body.
And, in the moment when Shub and her eyes met, Penelope realized.
“Ah.”
Behind the empty shell called Maman, a massive divine body came into view…
Countless horns and hooves of goats, tentacles covering the entire body—
“Uuweeek!”
As Penelope faced the excruciating reality through Yudahee, her shattered head was stitched back together.
Trembling arms and legs, along with shaking eyes, clearly indicated the aftermath. Thankfully, it was filtered through Yudahee. If Penelope had seen it with her own eyes, would it have ended like this?
It’s fortunate that her brain didn’t melt down.
“Wh-where…?”
As consciousness returned, memories of past events flooded Penelope like a rushing stream.
Yuseongrak, events that followed, passing like a lantern’s light, with the most recent events repeating.
With bodies soaked in water, Penelope and Yudahee danced along the lakeside like lovers, swaying arms here and there.
And then, pressing heads with Yudahee—
“Hieeek!”
Penelope, now with a face turned crimson, experienced another brain shutdown.
“Ah.”
She just stretched backward, lying on the floor, legs twisted.
Yudahee was watching this scene, thinking it’s better than Penelope attempting suicide by diving into the water to erase such memories.
Penelope was completely incapacitated, but the issue remained—Shub Nyguras.
They couldn’t just leave everything to Nyarlathotep.
Yudahee picked up Penellope’s sword, Varisada, which lay on the ground.
“I’ll borrow this for a moment.”
Varisada trembled, as if refusing to accept Yudahee with its vibrations, but what was needed was not its inherent ability to pass through matter.
All that was required was the strength to withstand Yudahee’s sword strikes.
Just endure it once.
“…You can endure, right?”
It would be inconvenient if Varisada, like the previously wielded contractee’s sword, couldn’t endure and broke in half.
uuung uuung!!!
Varisada vibrated anxiously under Yudahee’s meaningful gaze.
—–
“Uwah…!”
Just brushing past his ear, the whip-like arm caused his hair to stand on end, and a hole was pierced in the cliff behind him.
The arm, bending like a whip, tore through the air, and the darkness surrounding Shub relentlessly pursued, not piercing like thorns but spreading out insistently.
“Ah, seriously!!!”
Nyalatotep’s mind had already moved to the back, but his body did not follow.
Blood spurted into his view as it brushed past his forearm.
All due to the mismatch between exceptional software and inadequate hardware.
Might as well get rid of this useless chest immediately.
On the other hand, Shub was infinitely composed.
Without any carelessness, it was a scheme to dry and kill Nyarlathotep as it is… But noticing the change, he turned his head.
Penelope, who met eyes with him, and within that, fear was blossoming.
Behind him, Yuda-hee looked at Shub and smirked subtly.
“So that’s it, breaking the spell by synchronizing the gaze.”
If it weren’t for Yuda-hee, who could unravel his enchantment in such a way?
Nyarlathotep seemed to have caught on and snickered.
“It’s soon going to be 2:1, isn’t it? What should I do about this?”
“Don’t worry about that; instead, maybe reflect on your own situation?”
Nyarlathotep’s back was firmly against the wall.
With no way to escape, the occiput vulnerable, he couldn’t play around with his body like before, engaging in hit-and-run antics.
Even if Yuda-hee didn’t come running this way, it would take at least 30 seconds, enough time to savor the Nyarlathotep already pressed against the wall.
Shub’s wish was to send Nyarlathotep first and enjoy a lingering time with Yuda-hee afterward.
But it seemed that the triumph was raised too quickly for that to happen.
Nyarlathotep’s gaze was not on the Shub in front of him but far behind.
“…What?”
Similarly turning his head slightly, he saw Yuda-hee standing still in the distance with a sword in hand.
Silence.
A stillness so profound that not even the sound of water rippling or the wind blowing could be heard.
He didn’t come closer, just gazing at this side, but Shub, for a moment, felt as if his body was splitting in half.
A chilling feeling that made his shoulders shudder slightly.
The spirit as a foreign correspondent remained steadfast, but an incident occurred as the body reflexively responded.
It was dangerous – the judgment of danger pushed Ni’ala Totep, who had cornered him fearfully, to immediately change his position…
“Kyahahahaha~ Let me tell you, I taught my disciple exceptionally well.”
Ni’ala Totep, who approached unnoticed, grabbed Shub’s body and leaned in.
“No, let go!”
“There’s no way I’ll let go, right?”
Despite the encroaching darkness devouring his body from behind, Ni’ala Totep embraced Shub, not showing a smile but a grin.
It was Ni’ala Totep who squeezed time by forcibly extracting strength from Shub’s endlessly insufficient body.
“It’s too late, Yudahee.”
And a flashing light enveloped the surroundings.