Chapter 51 : Hidden Clause

Seeing the devastation that unfolded, Diana’s brows knitted. In the wake of the final explosion, She noticed no screams echoed from the surrounding residents despite the city bells tolling and the damage spreading.

The entire situation made no sense to her until she expanded her mystic sense. While destroying the gate, Lady Morrigan had employed another ability to place all the civilians beyond the blast range into a deep trance, ensuring they wouldn't suffer mental erosion.

That single choice probably saved their lives.

“At least malady was able to prevent that being from entering our world.” she muttered with exhausted sigh.

Just as the storm clouds above cleared and the rain stopped, Diana's troubled heart relaxed. Thankfully she was able to confirm the casualties hadn't exceeded the attack range.

Suddenly, Diana's thoughts took a pause.

A chill ran up her spine and instinctively her gaze flickered behind her as a scream rang out.

“Ahhhhhh!!”

The contractee convulsed violently, his back arching as a sound tore out of his throat.

Before she could react, his left shoulder split open.

Flesh tore apart with a wet rip as dark green vines covered in thorns erupted from the wound, bursting free in a violent spray of crimson liquid. They twisted and writhed, thickening rapidly as they forced themselves into shape.

In seconds, a figure in the shape of a young woman’s upper body emerged, knotted from vines and pulsing fibers, which cascaded thick curls of green hair that coiled heavily.

From her right eye bloomed a blood-red rose, its petals unfurling with unsettling intent, rooted deep where an eye should have been, while lips of the same crimson formed beneath a narrow bridge of a nose. Her remaining eye was small and framed by slanted brows. Her head tilted unnaturally as her arms fused into the man's ruined shoulder.

Channelling her spiritual energy into her right hand, Diana created a flaming sword and charged towards him without a moment’s hesitation.

She brought it down in a decisive slash aimed at the creatures head.

But a barrier appeared, obstructing her path.

The man’s broken left arm seemed to snap upward on its own, blasting out a shot of spiritual energy that sent Diana flying backward.

She felt her head grow lighter for a second as her boots dragged across the ground, and she fought to keep her balance.

‘Its Another grade One!!’ Through her slowly adjusting vision, she looked up startled to see the man staring at his arm in pure terror.

“That wasn’t me!... I—I can’t,” he gasped. “It’s not listening to me—!”

The creature shifted.

More vines burst through his body, punching out from his ribs and spine, spreading rapidly as his screams rose in pitch. They slid around his head, cradling him with gentle care as the half-formed figure leaned in closer.

“Did you truly believe you held power over me? Did you not find it strange ‘That’ Person was the one who–?” Without waiting for him to respond, the creature continued whispering softly, but before she could finish, a calm voice descended from above.

“’That’person? Do you mind enlightening me on whom that person is?”

A faint scrape echoed above them as brown porcelain tiles shifted under deliberate steps. Diana and the contractee nervously turned their gazes upward at the same time, instinctively drawn towards the source.

Rosa or rather, Lady Morrigan, stood upon the slanted roof of a nearby house.

Her golden eyes gleamed beneath the clearing sky, luminous and cold. With her hands hidden behind her back, she tilted her head slightly to the right, studying the grotesque figure below in a relaxed posture and said charmingly. “I’m sure you will tell me all about it, right? Little Druid”

For the first time since its emergence, panic rippled through the vine creature.

With a shrill, furious hiss, it reacted on instinct.

A sharpened vine shot forward, aiming straight for the contractee’s head.

Yet, it never landed.

In the next heartbeat, the creature felt its head seized by a firm grip.

Diana was barely able to perceive what had happened.

One instant, Morrigan stood upon the roof.

The next, she appeared directly above the contractee. Her hand closed around the creature’s head and In a swift pull, Morrigan had torn form the contrcatee.

The vine-formed head shriveled instantly in her grasp, collapsing in on itself before disintegrating into gray ash that scattered into the air.

The remaining vines recoiled, withering rapidly as they withdrew back into the man’s body, then crumbled away entirely.

The contractee convulsed once more, his body seizing violently before going limp as he collapsed, unconscious.

For a brief moment, Morrigan observed him with an unreadable expression as if in thought. Resting the bottom of her boot on his shoulder, she causally snapped her fingers and his body vanished from the spot.

Shifting her attention, she then turned to Diana and said,“You’ll need to carry Rosa back to the safe house. She won’t have the strength to move or interact with any spiritual energy for a while once the possession ends.”

“Umm… Malady…what was that being within the door, I've never seen anything like it?” Diana inquired curiously.

“If you can recall, I once told you that it's dangerous to group your abilities in the physical, spiritual and elemental category arrangement. That was one of the worst results, a Grade one, Sequence two, Monarch Of Madness from the Fallen path. You should be able to understand from the name. A Monarch Of Madness is someone who possess spiritual energy drowned in chaos and malicious intent. They excel at spreading corruption and cause unpredictable mutations wherever they go.”

‘Chaos…?’ Diana instantly recalled the sensation she felt earlier under the entity’s gaze and the flames she had temporarily gained access to. She had chosen a similar path, would she too become a being of pure madness the day she reached grade one? The sequence a specter began with reaching grade one was largely dependent on their Will after all.

“I’ve forced Vulphegra back, but you must remain vigilant. Once they're summoned, entities like Her to tend to linger around the barrier of our world until they receive their promised tribute.” Seemingly oblivious to her inner thoughts, Morrigan continued.

"Regarding the lives lost in this endeavor, I'll be sending Vera and Jacob to speak with the baron after the interrogation is completed tonight. Until then remain In Foshan and wait for my next orders." As she spoke, the gold in her eyes dimmed, receding like a tide flowing away from shore as the familiar emerald green then returned.

Rosa’s body swayed as she regained control. Coughing blood, she tried to steady her footing as a wave of nausea washed over her.

“Hold on I'll be right there” Worried, Diana’s stomach dropped as she noticed Rosa’s condition. She quickly stepped forward, reaching out to help when suddenly the space behind Rosa distorted.

Swoosh!

Before she could shout a warning, a four-fingered claw tore through the air and slashed across Rosa’s back in a brutal arc, sending blood spraying as the force caused her to stumble forward.

“ROSA!!”