Chapter 248 Saint Patricia
The floating islands at floors 46 and 47, where the area bosses waited, were just empty places with huge gates. But the floating island at floor 48 was a bit different.
The giant gate stood tall in the center, just like before, but more than anything, the island was huge. The deepest islands in the upper floors were already big, but the one at floor 48 was even bigger. It was probably big enough to fit a small village!
And in this vast area, for some reason, countless tombstones stood everywhere.
It felt like a giant graveyard, but it was completely free from the gloom and eeriness that the word "graveyard" usually brings.
This was because the ground of the island was filled with colorful flowers blooming all around the tombstones.
It was a somewhat magical sight.
And in the center, in front of the towering giant gate, there was indeed a figure...
"Lucia, who is that?"
I asked about that person in a relaxed mood. Then Lucia, who had been dozing off on my back, woke up and rubbed her eyes while looking at the person in front of the gate.
It was a person dressed in a white robe, leaning on a long staff, who seemed to be a magician. She was a woman, probably in her early twenties. Her long, wavy blonde hair danced in the breeze, and her golden eyes sparkled with a gentle light.
Even through her loose robe, it was clear she had a generous figure, and her beautiful face wore a loving smile, like a goddess.
Well, I mean, Fiona is way cuter and more beautiful, though?
"Um... that is 'Saint Patricia'... the hero from the Age of Gods who inspired the Unique Job 'Saint.'."
"Ohh... so, whose trial is it?"
"Probably, it's not about anyone in particular. It's likely a trial for all of us... Hwaa... Since there are a lot of people this time, Patricia showed up..."
"Hmm, well, I guess it doesn't really matter..."
Trials and stuff are nonsense. I hate battles and trials. I'm a natural pacifist.
――While I was thinking that, Fiona, who had taken my place, continued to ask Lucia questions.
"Lucia, do you know how Patricia fights?"
Fiona, with her serious face even at a time like this. Her serious face is cute...
"Um... Patricia uses holy magic. But her specialty is necromancy magic..."
"I understand that necromancy magic is holy attribute magic, but it's far from the image of a 'Saint' job."
Exactly, Fiona is right. Using necromancy magic is not fitting for a saint at all.
"Patricia has the job of 'Saint,' but her other name is different... In the Age of Gods, she was called the 'Dark Saint'..."
"Is that so... Thank you, Lucia."
"Um..."
"Well then..."
At that moment, Fiona drew her sword and made a big slash.
The aura released from the blade took shape in the air, turning into countless blades. What Fiona used was [Continuous Blade]. And then――
"Kyuuun!?"
"Fugyaa!?"
The countless blades began to fly through the air, targeting only the Saint Rabbits and Angel Cats that the dazed Extermination Team members were carrying, slicing them apart.
The cats and rabbits were cut down without much resistance, turning into particles of light and disappearing one after another.
Meanwhile, the Extermination Team members whose cats and rabbits were cut down――
"How could you, Fiona?!" "That's terrible!" "My Mii-chan is dead!" "I wanted to take home the breeding rabbit!" "Killing them is just awful!" "It's sad... it's sad, but everything my dear sister does is justice!" "We will definitely overcome this sadness!" "So please give us about 3 days to mourn..."
Despite their silly reactions, each of them was grieving.
"Everyone! It's time to come back to your senses!"
Fiona shouted sharply, but...
"Hey, Lady Fiona, we're totally sane, you know?"
"..."
There was no sign of anything changing for us. Of course not. We've been sane from the start.
But Fiona looked around at us and sighed, sounding troubled.
"Even though the monsters are gone, you won't come back to your senses... um, Mr. Noah?"
"Hmm? What is it, Fifi (Fiona-chan)?"
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I've cleared this place many times, so I have some resistance... but maybe it's because there are so many of us? The monsters came swarming today. It might be getting a bit tough soon."
"...Is it really magic?"
"Yeah, that's right. Hmm, huh? Ah, since everyone just got hit by magic, I guess I can say it now. The holy magic [Hostility Ban] and [Charm Boost], and then maybe [Pain Dullness]? Also, the flowers blooming around here give off a relaxing scent. But it might make you too relaxed..."
"Flowers too... I see. ...The magic caster are Saint Rabbit and Angel Cat, right? No doubt about it?"
"That's correct!"
"If we defeat the caster, won't the effects wear off right away?"
"Ah, it'll stick around for a few minutes. But this time, the magic is overlapping too much, so if we stay in this area, we might feel happy for a few hours. If we leave this area, I think we'll go back to normal in about 30 minutes."
"...I wish you had told me that at the start..."
"Well, it seems like it was just within the contract's effect range? Maybe it conflicted with the strategy info? But it seems fine now."
"...Is there a way to cancel it quickly?"
"Um, since it's not a strong magic, if you feel a certain level of pain, it'll break right away. But since it's not an attack, it's hard to resist. However, it's spread out widely, so it affects the caster too, and the caster can't attack either. So, I guess it's okay to just leave it be... Wait? Is it ineffective against undead? ...Well, either way, it's fine."
"...What do you mean by a certain level of pain? How much is that?"
"Hmm... since the pain is dulled, maybe like stabbing a knife into your thigh... really hard?"
"...I see. Is there any other way to cancel it?"
"Umm, I wonder? I mean, maybe we don't need to cancel it anymore? I'm starting to feel peaceful and happy too."
"That's a problem."
...Hey, Fiona is in trouble, so answer her properly, okay?
And seriously, isn't Noah talking to Fiona a bit too much? He better not be trying to make a move on someone else's wife... Should I secretly take care of him later...?
――Wait, no, I shouldn't use such violent words like "kill." Love & Peace. So, I should just hold back and maybe just punch his face a bit...
"Ah, well, if there's something that really shakes your spirit, it can cancel it without being attacked."
"...So, that means what happened earlier wasn't enough?"
"Yeah."
Fiona looks at the deepest floating island.
I follow her gaze, and there, 'Saint Patricia' was doing something strange.
From the center of Patricia, a dark shadow, or maybe a flat darkness, spreads across the island, and in the next moment, something crawls out from under a grave.
Necromancy magic――[Create Undead: Lich]
The first to appear were over ten undead, just bones and skin, called Lich. Dressed in tattered robes and holding old-fashioned staffs, they start to line up around their master, following her orders.
While the Lich move, Patricia keeps casting magic one after another.
Necromancy magic――[Create Undead: Evil Beast Skull Legion]
Blowing away various tombstones, what appeared from the ground were a variety of skeleton-type undead.
Most of them had beast-like skeletons, and among them was even a dragon undead. They all had hollow eye sockets filled with a bluish-white ghostly flame, and they began to turn towards us all at once.
Next, the liches, who had finally finished lining up, raised their staffs and started casting magic one after another.
Necromancy magic――[Summon Legion Undead] × many
In the blink of an eye, a horde of skeletons was summoned. They filled the vast floating island at the back, and the cramped skeletons began to cross the glowing bridge that connected to other islands.
However, even seeing that scene, we didn't really feel a sense of crisis.
"Wow, so many have come!" "There are a lot, indeed!" "Should we try counting how many there are?" "Is it better to fight them, I wonder?" "Fighting is so barbaric!" "Let's all get along!" "I feel like we could become friends if we talk it out!" "If it's the Lord of Extreme Sword, we know we can build friendship with monsters!" "As expected of Master!"
That's right...
I could become friends with monsters too...!!
Then, should we try to solve this with a discussion...? Just as I started to think that,
"――Huh!?"
A loud voice suddenly rang out.
Who was it? I looked to see that the one who shouted was "Boob Alien," a member of the ≪Gentlemen's Alliance≫.
For some reason, he had his eyes wide open, staring intently at 'Saint Patricia' on the farthest floating island.
"Ah, that person... there's no doubt about it!!"
"What's wrong, Boob Alien?"
"What's the matter? Look at that person's rich chest! That's not just big breasts! That distinctive way they shake...!! I can understand it even through their clothes...!! That is soft breasts!!"
"Soft... breasts?"
"Yes, let me explain! As everyone knows, the softness of breasts varies slightly from person to person! It's truly diverse! But among them, there are breasts that feel completely different from both firm and bouncy ones...!! That is what I call soft breasts! They have a natural feel that is almost like liquid; when you touch them, your fingers easily sink in and change shape! That feeling is pure bliss! There isn't an official name for it yet, but I refer to it as soft breasts! The chance of meeting someone with soft breasts is low; they are rare breasts――(and so on)."
Then, following the boob alien's chatter, another shout arose.
"""Nuuh~n!!?"""
It was the pigs.
As the pigs shouted, they, like the boob alien, opened their eyes wide and stared at 'Saint Patricia.'
"Hey, what's wrong, pigs?"
One of the drunkards asked, and one of the pigs replied.
"There's nothing wrong! Look at that person! At first glance, she has a gentle smile like a holy mother, but we understand!! That person is definitely S! A true sadist!! Our sensors are picking up the hidden disdain in those gentle eyes!! We can smell the human who loves to hurt others, make them submit, and kneel before them!! That person is truly! A born queen!!"
"......"
As Fiona gave a cold stare to the fast-talking boob alien and pigs, Noah, who was also watching the boob alien and pigs, casually spoke up.
"It seems that when the magic disappeared, they got stimulated and returned to their senses."
"Returned to their senses...? More importantly, what do you mean by 'stimulated'?"
"Well, in their case, it's probably s*xual stimulation."
"S*xual... stimulation..."
"Yeah, maybe the others will return to normal too."
"...I could take her down by myself using [God's Descent], but Lucia has stopped me from fighting the [Evil God]... Hmm, if I fight alongside the perverts who have returned to their senses, it might take time, but I could win normally... But then, I wouldn't be able to protect the other members... Huh? ...But, that means... I understand. I'll give it a try..."
Huh? What's this? Fiona, who had been thinking with a serious face, suddenly looked determined and came closer. She leaned in and began to whisper in my ear...
"Aaron, you know? If you fight after returning to your senses, I'll... give you what I refused the other day because it was too embarrassing..."
!?
"What did you just say...!?"
In that moment, I awakened.
I quickly turned my face to Fiona to confirm.
"Is that true!? Absolutely!? Is it a promise!?"
"――You suddenly came back to your senses..."
"What's the deal!?"
"Y-Yeah... I promise. ...But only after we return to the surface."
――I got her to commit!
"Got it. Leave the rest to me...!!"
I pulled out "Black Radiance" from its sheath and started walking forward confidently.
At the same time, I observed the approaching army of undead while channeling my aura into my sword.
There were well over a few hundred, probably thousands. Moreover, nearly 10% of them were not just weaklings. However, if I took them down one by one, it would take too long. That means it would delay my return to the surface.
I can't waste any more time...!!
My awakened mind created a state of extreme focus. The world rapidly expanded around me. It was a concentration level that could rival when I fought Logan at the [Temple], allowing me to recognize the magical energy of each undead, even their core...
I stood at the edge of the floating island, spread my legs wide, and readied my sword.
With a sharp sound, like a bell ringing, the "Black Radiance" that was pouring into my sword transformed into a platinum-colored blade.
――I don't need to crush it into tiny pieces. Just knocking it down is enough. If that's the case, once should be enough.
I opened my eyes wide, taking in the army of undead, and swung my sword in a horizontal arc.
"――Disappear."
My ultimate technique――――[Slash].
In an instant, the feeling of the sword vanished from my hand.
The platinum sword transformed into an invisible slash and shot forward.
The slash passed through the army of undead and Patricia behind them faster than sound. However, there was no shockwave, and everything ended quietly.
In an instant, the entire army seemed to stop moving, and then, all at once, they began to release their magical energy while standing still, countless particles of light starting to rise in the calm sky.
"Soft breast!?"
"""My queennn!?"""
Patricia's disappearance and the anguished cries of some perverts were extremely unimportant.
I was sure I had wiped out all the enemies, so I turned around and shouted.
"――You guys! How long are you going to be useless!! The peace of the world is at stake!! Get your act together!! Let's move on already!!!"
—And with that, we cleared the 48th floor.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)