The Priest of Corruption

Chapter 56: Performance.

"Kill!

Yet, to locate the holy relic within the divine mass, she whispered her need to assume a human form. I was conflicted, fearing any harm might befall Mother.

- Gyeeeeeeeeeh!!!

Swoosh.

My sword swung, severing the transparent threads and the hands of the encroaching corpses. The severed hands spewed chunks of flesh before falling to the ground.

- I'll help you!!!

The demon, taking the form of a giant snake, coiled around the enraged giant's body. The movement of the headless giant, standing aimlessly, was obstructed.

'Kill...?'

She cautiously inquired if she could proceed. Her question was tinged with a hint of gloom and her usual eagerness to assist me. I shut my eyes tightly and responded.

"If you think you're going to get hurt in the slightest, you must immediately revert to a hand."

'Kill!!!'

The hand that emerged, accompanied by a cry of affirmation, transformed into a girl's form, radiating a soft light. I swiftly grasped Mother with one hand and yelled.

"Where is it?"

'Kill, kill...' |

Her flawless, pale forehead furrowed slightly. Mother, fingers on her temples, scrutinized the ragged giant's body with intense focus. As I awaited Mother's response, I slashed through the hands and threads that persistently reached out with the sword in my hand.

- Gyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!!!

An unforeseen transformation began with the scream. The entwined human corpses were ripped apart, and something emerged from the crevices. More accurately, some things.

Threads of divinity stitched all over the body. Limbs flailing wildly. Heads of varying numbers. None of them bore any resemblance to each other.

They were small, ragged humans, composed of four or five humans. I wasn't sure if they could still be considered human.

- Gyeeeeeeeeeh!!!

- Gyeeeeeeeeeh! ! !

- Gyeeeeeeeeeh!!!

The ragged humans, screaming, began to charge at me. I addressed Mother, who was still searching for the object.

"How much longer will it take?!"

'Kill...'

She replied that it wasn't entirely within her control. Her usual response contained a hint of reassurance to ease my tension. I patted Mother on the back and shouted.

"Hold onto my neck tightly! It's going to get rough!"

'Kill!'

Two slender hands wrapped around my neck. I leaped up once I confirmed that Mother, light as a feather, was clinging tightly to my arms.

Bang!

'Kill?! ! !'

Startled by the unfamiliar sensation compared to her usual hand form, Mother let out a small scream. Hearing the scream, I drew the sword in my right hand horizontally.

- Gyeeeeeeeeh! ! !

Two arms were severed in a single attack. But the ragged human hand I was targeting was one of three. The remaining hand reached out towards Mother.

How dare you.

I kicked with my right foot, using my left foot as a pivot.

Bang!

- Gyeeeeeeeeh...!

The ragged human, struck by the kick, ricocheted off the giant's shoulder and fell to the ground. As if waiting for one to be removed, the other two ragged humans charged at me.

- Gyeeeeeeeeh!!!

- Gyeeeeeeeeh! ! !

I swiftly moved my hand and sliced off the piece of flesh presumed to be its head. The decapitated creature lunged at me with outstretched hands, as if its head was merely an ornament.

I quickly looked in the direction where Master was.

The 'Experts', swinging their swords at high speed, were fighting fiercely in their own world.

At the same time, I was on the body of a ragged giant with all kinds of divinities intertwined. They wouldn't feel much difference even if I added a bit of the divinity of an evil god here.

"Mother!!!"

'Kill!! !'

The Divinity of Corruption that took place on my whole body's skin became a glowing dark green pattern and ran over my body. The power burst out, almost overflowing. The muscles of my whole body jumped with joy. With that, the unbearable pain that something gnawed at me from the inside scolded my brain.

Ignoring the pain, I concentrated on the power that seeped through my body.

I forcibly broke the sword attack I had already made. I twisted the trajectory. The blade that drew a physically impossible trajectory dug into the ragged human body.

Swoosh.

"Haaaap!"

The muscles in my right arm twitched like they were about to explode. The endlessly amplified power went up my waist, passed my shoulders, and exploded at my fingertips.

- Gyeeeeeeeeh!!!

The four or five ragged humans, tangled to each other, entangled in my sword, floated up and collided with the raging monster that was running right next to it.

Baaang!

The chunks of flesh that collided were crushed, unable to withstand my strength. The two rags fell from the giant's shoulders to a tangled mass of flesh, unable to even scream.

I got rid of three using only one hand, but I couldn't let my guard down.

New ragged humans kept popping out one by one from the ragged giant.

- Gyeeeeeeh!!!

When I saw another ragged man protruding, I quickly shouted at Mother.

"Not yet?!"

'Kill...'

She lightly complained that the thing was sticking to this shape more than she thought. Mother then smiled confidently and broadly.

"Kill!!!"

Her slender finger pointed to the ragged giant's severed head. I couldn't help but smile.

"Excellent work! If I could, I'd hug you and plant a kiss on your forehead right now! But I'll restrain myself!!!"

"Kill?! Kill!!!!!!!"

She screamed, questioning why I was restraining myself. With a surge of divine power, a pure white ice awl materialized and flew at high speed towards Mother. There was no time for things like a forehead kiss.

Bang!

I quickly leapt up and darted away. The divine mass of the ice awl shattered the spot where I had been standing, exploding into a shower of ice shards.

I held Mother tightly, turning my back to shield her from the ice shards.

Sharp ice shards, imbued with divine power, slashed my back. The recovery was slow due to the divine nature of the attack. I gritted my teeth and raised the sword in my hand.

Then, I threw it. At the ragged human who had created the ice spear.

The sword sailed through the air, piercing the ragged human.

Whoosh!

- Gyeeeeeeh!!!

I leapt up and ran over the ragged giant's shoulders. I clenched my right fist. The Corruption Arts shone brightly, as if aflame.

I punched it. My fist broke through the ragged human form that had a sword embedded within it. The beaten figure shattered into dozens of pieces, the sound reminiscent of a drum bursting.

Clink!

My sword, lodged within the monster's body, clattered to the floor. From this point forward, I would have to face these ragged humans with nothing but my bare hands.

It got a little cumbersome.

- Did you find it?

A welcome voice. I shouted loudly to the demon.

"It's near the cut-off neck you see over there!!!"

In an instant, the divinity shuddered, and the black shadows all at once became sharp and attacked me.

Was it a new power?

And when I was about to quickly jump up again...

Crack.

The giant snakehead devoured the ragged humans. The shadows rushing towards me lost their strength and fell.

Writhing Curiosity growled with both eyes wide open in anger.

- I'll chew everything except the throat.

Crash!

As the giant snake bit off one shoulder, the corpses that made up the giant screamed in pain in unison.

- KYEEEEEEEEEEH!!!

Thanks to that. Taking full advantage of that chance, I sprinted over the giant's shoulder and headed for the neck cut. Thousands of hands rose and tried to stop me, but I trampled on the futile resistance with force.

Exploding flesh and blood. When I finally got to the neck, I asked Mother.

"Where? Where is it?"

The incision Ensis had made on the Giant's neck was markedly different from the rest. It was as if the cut had wounded the very essence of the creature, causing the encrusted corpses to struggle for survival.

'KILL!!!'

Mother's shout echoed loudly as she pointed towards one of the massive cuts. I swiftly moved in the direction she indicated.

The ground was composed entirely of dead flesh. Mother pointed at it and yelled again.

'Kill!!!'

She insisted that it was right beneath us. There were no suitable tools to excavate it, so without hesitation, I extended my right hand and began to claw at it.

The flesh was ripped apart, torn away piece by piece.

By the time my right hand was soaked with the dead black blood, I felt something.

"I found it!"

It was a box. A small box containing the divinity of 'Maintenance', which was very familiar to me. I grabbed the box and shouted.

"I found it! ! !"

Tears welled up in Writhing Curiosity's eyes, expressing her gratitude.

- Thank you! Thank you so much!!! Grab it and jump off right now!!!

"Yes!"

I looked at Mother and quickly shouted.

"Now you can turn back into a hand!"

Mother nodded and turned into the shape of a hand. I grabbed the hand and jumped right off the raging giant's body.

Thud!

I minimized the impact by rolling on the floor, holding the Mother's hand and the box. Raising my head and looking back, I saw the huge snake's mouth ripped open.

Writhing Curiosity declared with both eyes fluttering in anger.

- 'Sewing Needle'!!! You bastard who is imprisoned in the high heavens!!! Listen carefully!!! Until the life of this body where I live now is exhausted, I will never stand by your followers!!! You will have to pay the price for today's rudeness!!!

Crack.

The snake's mouth, tearing apart, began to swallow the ragged giant's body. The wriggling snake's mouth shoved the raging giant into its throat.

I heard a loud noise.

"There!!! There's a demon over there!!! Everyone, run!!!"

"Yes!!!"

Knights and soldiers. The Northern Kingdom army rushed to stop the demon.

It was time to go.

I glanced at the demon that devoured the whole ragged giant and hid in the city's alley to avoid the Kingdom Army.

***

In a dimly lit slum alley, Mother emerged from the shadows, her gaze intense.

'Kill!'

She shut her eyes tightly, brushing her hair back from her forehead. 'Kill!!!!'

She was imploring me to deliver the kiss I had promised earlier.

Suddenly, a woman darted towards me, practically flying, and threw herself into my arms. Writhing Curiosity, who had rushed to me unbidden, cried out.

"Thank you so much!!!"

Without seeking my consent, she began to shower my neck with kisses.

"W-Wait, please, let me..."

'Kill...'

A terrifyingly adorable killing aura emanated from Mother as she observed Writhing Curiosity with her charred eyes.

'Kill, kill...'

Deep regret filled me for aiding a demon who lacked even basic manners.

Finally, the killing aura erupted.

'Kill! ! !'

Mother, in her leaping fury, spun violently, aiming her sharp elbows at the impolite demon.

"Thank you too, Mother of Corruption!!!"

Thump.

'Kill?!'

The ferocious assault was halted mid-air, as the demon caught and smothered Mother's face with kisses.

'Kiiiiiiiiill?!'