Chapter 74

The hell that spread before her eyes might have been a familiar sight to Flamm, but for Maria, it was not particularly shocking, and for Kirill, it was an away game in every sense of the word. Since waking up, his expression had remained stiff. The sound of something colliding from a distance and the sound of crying could be heard. The soft sensation under his feet, and everything he saw—were too shocking.

"Can you use Brave?"

Maria, walking beside him, asked. Kirill shook his head silently. To be honest, he hadn't expected it from the start. If Flamm were beside him, it might have been different, but given her current mental state, he didn't think she could use Brave.

"We need to find Flamm first."

There was no clue as to where she was. Including Kirill, everyone had gathered at the guild at the time, but they had scattered from there. Moreover, all the cocoons had lost their transparency, making it impossible to see what was inside. The two of them moved forward, looking around. Kirill, who still couldn't fully trust her, looked awkward but decided to speak up.

"Hey, Maria."

"What is it?"

"How did Flamm become so strong? She seemed like a completely different person when we were traveling."

"That—"

Maria, who hadn't had a proper conversation with Flamm, shouldn't have known. Yet, she spoke as if she had heard it from someone.

"It's because she learned how to use her power. She realized that the status reduction from the curse could be reversed."

"So that's why she was using all those ominous-looking equipment..."

He didn't have the leisure to observe, but he immediately recognized that the equipment Flamm wore was cursed. There was something different about the "wavelength" it emitted. Compared to Kirill's epic equipment, even a layman could tell the difference at a glance.

"Then... were you fighting these monsters?"

He looked up at the sky again. Another one of the strange beings was about to be born.

"Yes, many times. While you were unaware, Flamm became much stronger."

"...I see."

But I'm still weak. Kirill looked at his palm and muttered to himself. Maria glanced at her sideways and opened her mouth to say something—then, sensing something, she turned and released a light sword.

"Judgment"

Silently, two swords pierced the infant floating in mid-air. Kirill, reacting almost simultaneously, raised his sword without approaching.

"Blade!"

A light sword stretched high into the sky. He struck the enemy, who had been stunned by Judgment.

Zashuu!

The creature, split in two from the top of its head, fell to the ground.

"Haa... haa..."

Killing a humanoid being was a first for Kirill. Cold sweat ran down his cheeks, and his expression showed a struggle.

"If you think of them as humans, you'll have a hard time later."

"I know that!"

Maria's expression was cold as she responded to Kirill's raised voice. The tension between them hadn't disappeared, and it was natural for them to clash. Moreover, the blood and organs that flowed out were in the same shape as humans. They were indeed large and had an unusual atmosphere, but it would take some time to think of them as completely different beings. That was a normal reaction.

Kirill narrowed his eyes and looked at the severed corpse. The monster he had killed was probably the result of a former human. That made it even more—

"...Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

"It's still moving..."

The cut surface of the corpse was beginning to twist. At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but as the degree increased, the change became clear. Soon, a new infant crawled out from the red vortex that had formed at the cut, and the shell shriveled. The reborn creature was about two meters tall, but it had the same appearance and there were now two of them.

"They've increased."

"Why? I'm sure I cut them!"

"There shouldn't be a core inside... If destroying the brain doesn't stop them, it might be better to think of them as parts of the Mother rather than independent beings."

"Explain it properly, not just to yourself!"

"To the main body—"

Maria pointed to the ceiling. Above them, though they couldn't see it, was the "main body" that enveloped the capital.

"Until the core, which is somewhere in there, is destroyed, they won't stop."

'You're right, lying saint.'

"But how do you destroy the core?"

"No one has that power."

"Flamm Apricot is already in my hands."

"Everyone will become the same, becoming a mother and giving birth to children. This child is your companion."

"Linus Radiance will come to meet you soon."

"Congratulations, you can become one without mating if you become a child."

"Since your ugly body can't do it anyway, just let me take over your body—"

The Mother, speaking eloquently, was interrupted as Maria silently extended her hand.

"Sacred Lance"

Two light spears were released.

'Ugh'

They pierced the infant's forehead and pinned it to the building behind it. The restrained creatures thrashed their limbs like a tantrum, but their feet didn't reach the ground, and their hands only stirred the air.

"If we can't defeat them, we have to at least immobilize them."

More enemies approached from behind. They moved at an incredible speed, thrashing their limbs.

"Then—Bind!"

When Kirill cast the spell, light chains emerged from the ground and restrained the infant. Maria, seeing this, muttered, "I'm envious." Magic with a unique rare attribute, like the one used by someone with a specific rare attribute, often relies on "intuition." While it requires some training, it doesn't need the theoretical knowledge or fine magic control that basic attributes do, and can be used intuitively. The user probably doesn't even understand why the spell was cast.

"Is this good?"

"Yes, but—there's no end to it."

The assimilation was progressing, and the number of monsters was increasing. If they kept restraining them, Kirill and Maria's magic power would run out first. On the other hand, if they attacked, the creatures would just split.

"Can you fly, Kirill?"

Maria asked.

"Probably not... If I could use Brave, I think I could reach the ceiling."

"Hmm... I see."

Hearing someone else's sigh made Kirill's stomach hurt. Being expected and then disappointed was something she was particularly bad at. It was too unreasonable to prepare for mentally.

"In that case, we have no choice but to break through and find Flamm."

Two more infants approached from both sides. Kirill and Maria, facing each other, tried to restrain them with magic. However, the enemies approaching them were not just those two. The two infants impaled by the light spears trembled, and their bodies below the neck were torn off and fell. Similarly, the infant restrained by Bind split itself and moved through the gaps in the chains with its smaller body.

"They can split on their own!?"

"This doesn't seem like a situation where we can search freely. However, Mother, by doing this, aren't you admitting that she's safe?"

The Mother showed no reaction to Maria's provocation. However, the speed of the approaching infants seemed to increase slightly. It must have hit a nerve—Maria, now confident, no longer needed to be considerate, and began to turn the infants into flesh with light magic. The flesh changed shape in the air and became new split bodies.

'No matter how much you do, it's useless.'

'Accept it.'

'It feels so good.'

'It won't hurt.'

'Reveal yourself, let me pour into you, let my child grow in you, and become me.'

Five new enemies fell from the sky, and five more fell to the ground. Ten more infants were added.

No matter how much you do, it's useless. Cut them, and they split and twist and multiply, repeating the cycle. There might be a difference in individual power, but the sheer number of them was overwhelming.

"Ugh... ugh...!"

Kirill's hands trembled with confusion and fear. He still couldn't fully unleash his true power.

◇◇◇

The intake capacity had reached its limit. Yet, why doesn't she become me?

"Ugh... ugh, huff, gah...!"

I understand why Origin is just observing. However, the more it does, the more stubborn researchers become. Because a mother can't be a mother if she can't love all her children. As long as this child exists, Mother can't become a mother. Because of you. Because of you. Because of you—

"Huff... ah... phew..."

The level of consciousness was decreasing. It was being poured into the dazed state.

"Agh, gahiiiiii!"

She screamed, eyes wide open, but it had no effect. It only amplified the pain. I can't understand what makes her cling to herself so much. She should have understood all the memories and swallowed all the tragedies, so why? I even thought about killing her. But if I kill her, it would be like admitting my own incompleteness, which is unpleasant. That's not right. The reason why I became a mother would collapse. No matter what, I have to make Flamm my child.

'What a stubborn child.'

"This much, using Origin's power... yet... Mother, you... you can still be you, I think...'

Mute, Luke, and Nekt all lost their will the moment they used the second core, and their bodies were taken over by Origin. But Mother, despite the transformation, showed no signs of losing her will.

'What are you talking about?'

This is the result of creating these "Children" to make Mother like this. Chimera, too, had stolen techniques from rival necromancers and Children. Similarly, Mother had obtained the method to suppress Origin's will from Chimera. While the quality might be lower compared to the real thing, Mother herself, with her strong sense of self, could compensate for it. That's how she could use Origin's power so well while maintaining her will and achieving her dreams. However, Flamm directly contradicted this.

"Loneliness. Using others... for your own... purpose... denying connections... and discarding children who admire you so much... just as a 'wall'."

'So what?'

"You're very similar to Origin. That's why you can't consume me..."

And at the same time, she thought:

(Maybe Origin realized that its power doesn't work on me...)

Probably, just being "similar" isn't enough to prevent Origin from taking over. So, perhaps, Origin itself has no intention of taking over Mother.

(Leaving it alone... If it wanted to, it could erase Mother's personality...)

When the liquid was poured in, it felt like her brain was being stirred. Her memories were overwritten, and she became someone else. But the most important part, deep inside, couldn't be tainted. No matter how much the surface was rewritten, Flamm remained Flamm.

(Probably, the power of reversal. It's rejecting the influx of Mother's personality.)

But she wasn't immune to fatigue. Her body and mind were constantly being damaged and were in tatters. Her body didn't move well. Her mind, though not taken over, might eventually break. Or perhaps this fatigue itself was the result of contamination.

(Before that... I have to find a way to escape.)

Origin