159. The nun over there sent it
Muffin was enigmatic in many ways. It’s been quite a while since we’ve been traveling with Muffin, but she’s surprisingly good at hiding herself.
Introducing himself, he brought up the name of an old legend that was worn out. Besides, she usually rarely expresses herself exceptionally.
Always keep your mouth shut and just look at us from the observer’s point of view. Our party was also not sociable enough to show interest in others.
In the midst of indifference, neither goodwill nor hostility, she quietly built her own position. Little by little, we became less conscious of Muffin, and that’s how Muffin was accepted into the warrior’s party.
[What did I just hear?]
But she couldn’t build a proper bond with anyone in her party. Unlike Choco and I, who have a common denominator of cream even though we don’t get along well.
Muffin has no say. Even more so now that she has appeared who claims to be her battle saint just like her. I channeled all my strength and looked at the tattered spiritual body.
[I’ve been quiet all this time and now I’m coming to a decision, so what?]
[I saved your life.]
[Ah. Thank you for that.]
As expected, it was Muffin that caused the storm of divine power. I let out a wry smile as I felt her suspicions confirmed.
[But if you wanted to get something out of it, you should have said it before you got it.]
A ridiculously shameless statement. However, even the holy sword, which would normally tackle me, didn’t say anything at all. She, too, seemed lost in complex thoughts that she could not articulate.
I glanced away and looked at the soul of the saintess. As if she had received some major shock, her spiritual body was shaking dangerously unlike a moment ago.
I noticed it. Unsettled, but still intact, undamaged, the light of the soul.
[And that’s not what I have to say now. What are you?]
[That’s right. You are not a muffin.]
From noble mtl dot com
Ego weapons are made from imperfect fragments of the soul. So, in fact, there is a possibility that the soul of another battle saint exists apart from the ego that dwells in the Star Sword. Yes, it is rare.
However, Muffin and Muphys are too different to be considered souls originating from the same being. There is no need to worry about it, isn’t the difference in speech right away?
[······ But, how do you know the memories that you wouldn’t know unless you were the person in charge?]
However, the soul of the battle saint revealed here was intact and complete. The corruption of her body did not invade her noble soul, and her strong willpower preserved it as if it were freshly dead.
As an expert on the soul, I can be sure. The soul of the battle saint, Murphy Lowe, did not split. Then, whose soul is inside that sword?
[I expected to get caught someday, but…]
[Answer me!]
The holy sword fired in a furious voice. Although it was not as strong as the storm of her divine power that Muffin had just spewed out, a large amount of divine power that could never be ignored gushed out of her body.
Of course, since the Holy Sword deals with the sacred power of the source specialized in healing, it couldn’t do any damage, but its ferocious force clearly revealed her intentions more than any words.
Muffin’s eyes are naturally focused on the holy sword. I watched the whole scene with interest. Well, I pretended to be angry, but in fact, it’s enough to know about Muffin’s identity, but it’s okay even if you don’t know.
It’s no surprise that an ego weapon that has lived for hundreds of years forgets who he was before. Same with the Holy Sword right now. No matter how great a man he was before, now he is just a pitiful soul trapped in a sword.
[At that time, were it only you and the saintess who watched the diligent warrior’s journey?]
[What does that mean now…]
More important than that.
While the Holy Sword and Muffin were fighting dizzyly, I secretly raised my strength. Soul Erosion (S-) All life caught in death. Speak with all your might to the spectered authority (SS-).
It’s not the dregs or fragments you normally eat, but the whole soul that hasn’t volatilized even after death. Besides, his willpower and nobility are such that even I admire him. This delicacy is right in front of my eyes.
Tolerance is now the limit. At the same time as I released the suppressed suction power at once, instead of muffin, Murphy’s plaintive murmur flowed into my ears.
[God, will you abandon us in the end.]
And then, the soul of the saintess, who was flickering anxiously as if it would turn off at any moment, began to be sucked into me. The moment when you open the abyss of unconsciousness to the fullest in anticipation of the predation that will follow.
Kurleung. Along with the screams of the tearing sky, my eyes once again turned white.
The intangible chain that I have extended to the spiritual world. I feel the tens of millions of grips that hold and exploit souls burn in the thunderbolt. The butterfly that I caught on its wings slipped out of my hand, too.
Across the abyss of unconsciousness that had been opened, the cries and laughter of ghosts were heard. They were sad that there were no more comrades suffering like them, and they were happy that I, the root of all evil, had failed.
[This son of a b*tch…!]
The moment I realized it, along with unbearable passion, darkness leaked out from inside me. Even otherwise, the space was already filled with the energy of the holy sword and muffins.
As the darkness of polarity was added above it, the three forces repulsed and ate each other, and a terrifying aftermath erupted. I knew it was a pointless war of attrition, but I couldn’t bear my anger without doing this.
[I couldn’t watch the child suffer anymore.]
[Then you died instead.]
Should I be really honest?
I don’t care about other people’s circumstances. Not curious. The reason I’m digging into the Dark Church like this right now is because it’s an incident that seems to be related to me.
Intriguing stories, mythical events, and tragic mysteries. Yes, all good Good. It is only in the line where I am not caught.
And Muffin’s behavior went way beyond the line. The maiden’s soul. It was one of the best delicacies on the table in my centuries-old life!
[Don’t be angry, don’t I know your personality?]
[Ha?]
The soul of the saintess was no longer felt in the place where the lightning struck. However, despite my obvious anger, Muffin only responded in a soft tone that seemed to soothe her child.
Really, you’re making fun of me. The moment I felt the limit of my patience and was about to attack Muffin with the darkness, her words put the brakes on my actions.
[As an apology, I’ll treat you to something else. Really, something you’ll be satisfied with.]
What the hell are you talking about? Rather, I was speechless because I was so dumbfounded. Muffins are swords. With no limbs and nothing to do, what the hell are you going to serve?
This area has long been in ruins due to the power of faith. However, the moment Muffin uttered the words, I felt something strange in my senses around me. It’s like space is splitting apart.
[Have you forgotten something?]
No, the space was actually splitting. Not a subspace, but the reality we are stepping on. The barriers of this world were crumbling.
It is not an improvised world like a dungeon. In such a place, the space collapses easily with a little force, but the real world is not so fragile. It should be.
As Muffin finished his words leisurely, the gap in space opened its mouth and spat out a black object through it.
[······What are you really?]
Vigilance suddenly soared. Really, this doesn’t make sense. A mere sword is not enough even with the holy power of a saintess, to the extent that it can even damage the reality of the space movement ability?
Even in front of this miracle that deviated from common sense and logic, I didn’t even feel the flow of power. Even Cream had to have a precursor to using great power, but there wasn’t even such a thing.
[I know you’re not curious about others. After all, isn’t there only one thing you want to ask? I am still the saintess’ faithful helper, and I have no intention of competing with you, the warrior’s sword.]
Muffin gently channeled my sharp murderous intent and hostility elsewhere.
[The important thing now is not who I am. Look over there I thought you’d like it.]
It’s a way of speaking that seems to be bewitching. Feeling somehow lost, I followed Muffin’s words and turned my head. The object she pulled out of her imaginary space.
It was a familiar thing. A coffin containing the body of a saint seen in the Elder Lich dungeon. But the chains that bound the coffin no longer existed.
Pounding.
And the moment I saw the coffin, my heart beat violently. I am the sword, though there is no more heart in me.
A sensation that was not felt when the coffin contained the saintess or when she was bound by chains. It felt like my soul was clamoring. Become one with that coffin at any moment.
It was a similar feeling to when Cream and the soul were bound together. But it was a little different. Although it is impossible to accurately describe it in terms of writing, it is closer than other people who are extremely close.
[The crown of rest, one of the four sacred objects that the evil spirits have descended to the earth.]
An unknown desire lingered in Muffin’s tired voice. Her mask, which she usually wore tightly, even when she was being questioned about her own identity, felt as if her mask, which had been solid, had been slightly peeled off.
However, the gap was too narrow to look inside. Muffin introduced it in a voice that was still tired but still energized.
[How is it? Wouldn’t this be enough to replace the saintess’s soul?]