Vol. 5, Chapter 83: The Dark Beast

"Ugh... I feel sick."

The moment I wake, I feel an incredible lethargy in my body, that, and the urge to empty out everything in my bowels. From yesterday on, the fairies have feed pouring jug after jugs of nectar down my throat even while this body sleeps. I've drunk so much that this body is getting somewhat bloated.

"Alright, that's enough. That's enough I say."

Seeing the fairies trying to bring more over, I quickly waved them away. I drank enough that I suspect that I'm drooling this stuff. However, despite that, when I look over to the corner of my vision, where the Hp and Mp bars are located, the Mp bar is barely filled a quarter way through.

At this rate, will I even get close to making the difference?

"........."

A silent and wordless voice rings in my head. Formless like the wind, it is the whisper of the World Devourer.

"I can only hope that's enough. To being with, I'm not even sure supporting two is possible."

I sigh, there's nothing I can do but sigh. Once again, my options are frustratingly limited and I find myself trying to brute force my way out of the problem. From experience, brute-forcing is a method that hardly ever works, and even if it does, it tends to leave something that might bite you back later. Maybe I should try talking to Remus first, see what he is trying to pull with this. Perhaps we can work something out. But, at this point what solution can I provide? To begin with, I doubt he can even understand me, not with the effects of the [Corruption] in play.

"Alright, bring me another one."

I wave the fairies over, the ones with the jugs of nectar in their tiny hands. Taking one in my hand, I lift the jug overhead and try to chug it all down in a single gulp. I figured that if it's going to be agonizing, I might as well take care of it in one go.

I begin to vomit uncontrollably. The plan has gone horribly awry. Trying to chug it all down was a big mistake. I want to die now. I puked all over my lap too, and with the yellowish liquid, if someone is to walk it at this moment, my dignity as a human being may be in peril.

"Au- Aurelius?"

Oh Zero, my worst fears have come to fruition it seems, or so I thought, but the one who walked in on me was none other than the 'princess'. If there's anyone here whose opinion I don't give a damn for, it'll be Nine's.

"Don't look so surprised. Having drunk all that nectar, this is bound to happen. Ugh... I can't believe I agreed to the plan. Not that I have much of choice I suppose."

"Um, well, I- I'm not sure what's going on, but should I get some help?"

"It's fine, I'll have the fairies wash me off and fetch me some fresh pants. And you? What do you need?"

"It's not so much something I need, but I do believe that I better talk to you about... well, 'certain topics'."

For some reason, Nine is being rather vague today. I'm starting to smell something, and it smells like trouble. As if we don't have enough on our plate as it is.

"Get to the point."

"I will, in a moment."

The 'princess' draws closer, and as she does, the Faefolks stationed on the collapsed upper floors nock their bows and take aim. I do nothing to stop them. I don't know what Nine might be trying to pull after all.

From her dress, the 'princess' produces a piece of cloth. Unintentionally, I quirk an eyebrow, wondering what it is supposed to be. Perhaps there's something wrapped in there? Then, as she draws even closer, I become gradually more cautious and is considering the timing in which I should order the Faefolks to set loose their arrows. They won't shoot to kill, of course, just make it hurt enough to incapacitate. So long as the body isn't dead, we can heal it, so I have no qualms about turning the 'princess' into a pincushion if need be.

With the cloth in hand, she reaches out towards me, and then, she proceeds to rub it against my face.

"What are you doing?"

"Hm? I'm wiping your face. You look so filthy with all that nectar on you that I couldn't help it."

"The fairies can take care of that."

"Sure, but I can take care of it right now."

"How nice of you, are you going to help me change my pants as well?"

All of a sudden, the 'princess' cheeks flush a bright red.

"Now that's a bit... Well, if you don't mind."

Why the blushing? I know it's the princess' body, but it's Nine in there. We're both guys, right? Is he messing with me? Is this what this is? Is he trying to get me to think that I'm talking to the actual princess and have me let my guard down? Well, there's not going to be a ghost of a chance for that.

"That pants can wait. You said you want to talk?"

"Yes. Firstly, I would like to apo-"

I raise my hand, stopping her. Not because I didn't want to hear what she has to say, but because there appears to be some sort of uproar within the forest.

In a moment, a fairy flies in through the gaping hole that used to be the ceiling and lands right on my shoulder.

"So they're here..."

I turn towards the 'princess', and from the look of grim resolution in her eyes, I reckon that she heard what was said with those floppy ears of hers.

"Since I'm stuck here, I'll count on you to lead the battle. Gather the troops on the wall and remain on standby. If phase one works out, we'll move on to phase two. If it doesn't, well, we may have to commit to a real fight. As for Remus, I'm not at all sure how he'll approach, so I am going to have to trust in your judgment, unfortunately."

"Understood. I'll head over right away. Do you mind if I take Merida and Toto?"

"Merida is fine, as for Toto... She hasn't fully recovered yet. Tell her to come here. I have no intention of letting our opponents reach this place, so it'll be safe, but tell her that it is so that I'll have a Champion guarding me."

"Very well. And, um... Aurelius, about our talk..."

"Don't worry about it, I'll make time tomorrow."

"Please do."

Once the 'princess' turns around, heading out to prepare for battle, I feel myself frowning. She talks just like her, like the actual princess. I wonder if that's really her. I wonder what she wants to talk about. Probably all the times she tricked and lied to me now that the jig is up. In that case, I wish she'd hold her head high and go all, 'I did what I must for my people,' instead of looking so guilt-ridden. I mean, if you think you're doing something wrong then you probably shouldn't do it in the first place. Then again, at times, circumstances made it difficult for us to choose, so there's that.

"Well, whatever, what's done is done. Now then, let's get this thing started."

***

The Beastkins led by Remus arrives from the south, taking the most direct route towards the city. Just outside of the range of spells and arrows, they form their ranks and from the looks of it, I'd say that they're planning to take the city head-on. I'm guessing that Remus must be feeling rather confident in his newfound abilities. Is this overconfidence? Or is his power far greater than I imagined? We'll be finding out soon enough.

Feeling a weight on my hand, I find my grimoire lying open right upon the top of my palm. It's kind of strange that no matter what happens, I'll always find it nearby as if it's a part of me.

Sticking out from the gap between two pages, a [contract] sticks out. With my free hand, I weakly plucked it from the pages and hold it out before my eyes.

"It has only been a little over two or three months, right?"

I've lost track of how long it has been since I first arrived in Elgardia. It felt so long ago, like I've spent half a lifetime here. However, it wasn't even close to that amount. Yet still, it felt so long and I'm feeling so tired. It has been one thing after the next with hardly any chance to rest. Just think about having to go through this all over again in the next cycle makes me want to roll up and just die on the spot. I think I'm starting to understand why they're so desperate to end them, these endless cycles of madness.

Suddenly, I feel a pressure on the arm holding the grimoire, a soft pressure with a bit of warmth.

"I'll be waiting..."

I turn to my side, and as always, she greets me with her those empty eyes. The Purifier, the girl with spiraling horns, having gotten a good look at her up close, she does look like her, Zero, I mean. Sure, Zero had black hair, but the face is the same, and she just as pale as Zero is. They say that the Purifier does not have a will, then, in that case, whose will is she exhibiting when she speaks? Well, such musings will have to wait.

I turn my eyes towards the [contract] in my hand. It should almost be time. Using my connection to the World Devourer, I gain awareness of the things within and around the forest. Through said connection, I now observe what may soon be a battlefield. However, before it gets to that point, the princess steps forward, out of the gates and into the vast field outside. Only her lone figure can be seen. The soldiers do not follow her, though they watch on nervously. Then, she stops. Upon the grounds where the opposing army can see her, she stops. I cannot see their reaction, as they're out of my range, but I'd imagine that they must be pretty confused by such an action.

I wonder if Remus was expecting a fair fight. I wouldn't know, since I've never spoken to him at length before. However, if he knows me, then he'll know better than to expect such a thing from me. He's going down, right here, right now.

"Time to show what you've got. After acting so high and mighty this whole time, you better not disappoint."

I am talking to, of course, the [contract] in my hand. The one that I've received from Nine, the one that I've been drinking all those nectars for, the one that Nine had used Stella as a vessel for, one of those that got away from me upon being summoned to this world. Finally, it is back in my hands.

"Come forth, and show your devastating might!"

As I feel the life being sucked out of me, the sky turns to a bloody red and a pillar of fire shoots down from the heavens. The pillar lands beside the princess, close enough that I worry if it might scorch her, but for the most part, she seems fine, at least, she's not catching fire. Finally, from the inferno, emerges a dark beast veiled in flames, the [Corrupted] Keeper of the Beastkins, the [World Breaker Behemoth].

***

End of Chapter 83