Taming the Evil Saintess

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The room of Plague Lord Vermina was on the highest floor of the fortress.

The gigantic door, taller than a person, was locked, but with Ophelia around, it wasn’t a major issue.

No sooner had I pulled out my lockpick than the mechanism clicked open, and the door swung wide. Beyond the opened door sat Vermina, just as I had heard from Elliot.

“Elliot, that woman is…”

“Yeah. It’s Vermina, one of the Demon King’s officers.”

Elliot said that while giving Ophelia a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Then, he boldly stepped into the room.

Surrounding Vermina were high-ranking demons, their eyes blazing with intensity as they wielded various weapons, but Elliot seemed unfazed.

“Vermina.”

“Is it just the two of you? How lowly you must think of me.”

Vermina snapped her neck in disbelief, glaring at Elliot and Ophelia with her eyes as sharp as blades. The mere sight chilled Ophelia to the bone, causing her to stutter slightly. Vermina rose slowly from her seat.

“Today is just the worst. The Possessor is just watching the show, and the Sword Saint couldn’t even die with dignity.”

“I guess Alberiha has won.”

Elliot muttered, and Vermina pointed out the window with a finger.

“Most importantly, that guy’s dragon. That bastard is ruining everything.”

“Huh? Blackie?”

At the mention of a familiar word, Ophelia tilted her head, only to see Vermina’s fury boil over as she slammed her fist down. A torrent of magic energy and poisonous miasma erupted, causing even the high-ranking demons behind her to flinch. Of course, Elliot simply enveloped his Holy Sword in sword energy and brushed it aside effortlessly.

“Hero, I’ll give you a chance. Get the hell out of my sight right now, and you might just keep your life.”

Even though she was alone, Vermina was a high-ranking officer of the Demon King’s army. She was stronger and more imposing than any demon I had faced before. The killing intent was enough to chill Ophelia, who had come face-to-face with Lieutenant Petinus, to the core. Saliva slowly crept down her throat. She instinctively reached for Elliot’s collar, but by that time, he had already vanished from her side.

“Huh?”

Elliot was already standing right in front of Plague Lord Vermina with his Holy Sword raised high.

A preemptive strike. An ambush, no less.

Cowardly. Even pathetic. How is this supposed to be a hero?

Even if Elliot had a penchant for throwing the first punch regardless of the odds, Ophelia didn’t expect him to charge in reckless abandon in such a dire situation.

“Y-You crazy fool! What are you doing?”

Ophelia shouted, but Elliot ignored her, slashing towards Vermina’s neck. The blade, imbued with sword energy, sparkled and filled the room with a golden light.

Vermina squished her face with an expression of disgust, raising her hand, and Elliot’s Holy Sword merely lodged helplessly between her fingers.

“Hahaha. You foolish human, have you lost your wits? Can you no longer even tell right from wrong?”

“Tch. You’re not dying. You died easily in the Plague Run though.”

“Plague… Run.”

The term, referring to the repeated deaths one faced in the game, sent Vermina into a rage. Her makeup faded, revealing her elongated fangs.

“Hey, Hero, I’ll make an exception for you. Instead of putting you out of your misery, I’ll chew you up real nice, soaking your flesh in poison and plague until you’re a living dead…”

“Do you really have the time to be spouting nonsense?”

“What?”

“You’re really too careless.”

Elliot’s triumphant smile emerged, and in the next moment, golden flowers began to bloom along the path of his slashing sword.

Passed down from Cecilia and tailored to his own swordsmanship, this was the Ice Palace sword technique.

The ice flowers exploded right next to Vermina. Each flower was more powerful than any mana bomb could dream of.

Though she quickly exhaled miasma to shield herself, the astonishing force of the ice flowers carved deep scars into Vermina’s shoulder.

“Yikes!”

Nothing works in my favor.
Even that hero is disregarding me.
Vermina, in the end, couldn’t help but blow her top.

*

Though I hated to admit it, Cecilia Ethelgarand was the most directionally challenged person on this continent.

Having wandered for over an hour through the fortress’s maze-like corridors, she had slain dozens of demons popping out from every corner.

If you counted the monsters, the number must have exceeded a hundred.

Yet, she still couldn’t find the way up.

“…Just how complex is this structure?”

Cecilia mumbled as she sheathed her sword.

On the wall before her were the scratch marks left by her sword, serving as makeshift signposts. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen these marks.

In other words, she was just going in circles.

“What do I do…”

If she had her way, she would smash the walls to bits, but recalling the earlier vibrations, it felt like her rampaging here would bring the whole fortress crashing down.

In a situation where she felt utterly helpless, Cecilia sighed deeply and cradled her head in her hands.

She had joined the hero’s journey to take down the Plague Lord, yet at this rate, she was more of a burden than a help. How could she assertively say she had aided in vanquishing the Plague Lord?

What face would she show the Tsar when she reported back?

As she was pondering this, a voice called out from behind her.

“…Hello, sister.”

Startled by the surprise voice, Cecilia drew her sword and turned around.

And she couldn’t help but be taken aback.
The face of the woman in front of her seemed all too familiar.

Cecilia hesitantly opened her mouth.

“Oksana, my lady?”

“I knew you’d recognize me. Do I still look the same as I did back then? Or is it just your excellent memory?”

“…But how…”

The Tsar’s daughter, Oksana.
The very person Cecilia had failed to protect now stood right before her.

This wasn’t a dream. It was undoubtedly reality.
Cecilia swallowed hard and spoke.

“…M-My lady, what on earth are you doing here…?”

“Oh, that’s a story.”

Oksana gave a wry smile while tapping her neck.

Upon her skin was a vividly etched geometric mark of deep red.

A brand.

This was undoubtedly the symbol of the Demon King.

“…No way.”

“Yep. I’m the Possessor.”

Cecilia’s expression hardened significantly.

*

A shockwave thudded against my eardrums.

High-ranking demons under Vermina charged in from all directions. Each wielded a different weapon: dual swords, massive hammers, spears, and even bows.

First, I swatted away the arrows that were shot at me with a swing of my fist. Next, I blocked a spear aimed at me by wedging it between my armpits.

To confront the remaining demons, I twisted my body and swung my Holy Sword. Simultaneously, golden flowers bloomed in the path of my blade.

Most demons I had fought until now would have been disintegrated by this single attack, but these were supposedly high-ranking demons, and they minimized damage using dark magic.

“Elliot!”

Ophelia shouted, casting Holy Magic, causing the poisonous spear aimed at my back to disintegrate into nothingness.

“Tch. The little brat.”

Vermina clicked her tongue and cast dark magic.

This felt just like the boss fight against the Plague Lord from the game. Vermina utilized the high-ranking demons under her command as meat shields while safely supporting them from the back with dark magic. If any of them were even slightly hurt, Vermina would heal them using that very same dark magic.

This setup was annoyingly troublesome, both in the game and now in this reality, making me consider a decisive attack.

Since that plan was foiled, I had no choice but to break through conventionally.

Crack!

I intercepted a giant hammer swung by a high-ranking demon. The force was enough to make my fingers tingle. Only someone like Azar would be a match for that.

So, I relaxed my body, dodged the hammer, and slipped through the demon’s legs.

“What!”

The demon, clearly flustered, was cut short of words.
Starting from below, its body was split vertically in two.

No matter how thick of armor they wore, if you could slip through their legs and dismantle them, it wouldn’t matter if they were demons or anything else; they’d have no means to survive.

The demon’s body was severed, and I was drenched in blood underneath. The tangy metallic scent flooded my taste buds. I spat and raised my sword towards the remaining three demons.

“So, any other suicide wishers?”

My words made the demons hesitate.
After witnessing their comrade being sliced in half in one blow, it was only natural to feel cautious.

There were five remaining.

Significantly outnumbered and in a thoroughly unreasonable situation, but I didn’t care.

“If you won’t come, I’ll just come to you.”

I wiped the dirty blood off my sword with my elbow and lowered my posture.

When I was part of a mercenary group, demons always hunted in packs, plotting against me and my comrades. They were wicked and cruel, just like the definition of demons with human faces.

The fact that we were now in front of the Plague Lord didn’t change anything. No matter how high-ranking they claimed to be, as demons, they were all in my grasp. Vermina’s dark magic would be intercepted by Ophelia the whole time.

So, like years ago, I would hunt the demons and butcher them.
Nothing more, nothing less.

“Are you ready?”

I slowly removed my gloves.
The Hero’s Divine Mark etched on the back of my hand glowed.
In the next moment, my vision twisted.