Chapter 62 : Chapter 62
Volume 1
Chapter 62 : The Love God’s Whisper (2)
“Eluca, have you been corrupted by an evil god?” Ann asked in a trembling voice.
So-called evil gods were the source of most disorder and distortion in this world, symbols of corruption and destruction.
Like shadows beneath the sunlight, they seemed silent on the surface and rarely appeared within the sight of ordinary people, yet at every moment they clung to the outside of the world, coveting everything beautiful within it.
Like gluttonous beasts, they yearned for bait woven from blood and desire.
And so, the moment they caught even the slightest loose thread of corruption, they would extend their tendrils without restraint, eroding everything they saw and heard.
That was why evil gods were, for the most part, astonishingly generous.
With nothing more than blood and flesh, one could obtain power from them.
The less you paid as the price for power, the greater the price you would ultimately owe.
And when those debts accumulated to the point where you could no longer pay, everything you had would become a toy in the evil god’s palm.
Every gift came with a reason.
“An evil god?”
At Ann’s question, Eluca showed a trace of displeasure.
“Master, how can you speak of the divine being like that? It has been so good to me. In order to fulfill my wish to love everyone, it generously granted me the power to make that wish come true!”
“You... didn’t pay any price?”
Ann’s breathing caught once more.
If, when receiving that power, you had not paid even the slightest price, then when the evil god came to collect its debt, what would you have left to offer in return?
Your soul?
“Now then, Master, you still haven’t answered my question.”
Eluca smiled and stretched out her arms, as though she wanted to embrace her beloved master before her.
“Will you... accept my love?”
“...”
Silence. A silence as red as blood.
Eluca said nothing, waiting for Ann’s answer, and the entire room grew so still that even breathing seemed to vanish.
Ann lowered her eyes, her hands habitually folded over her lower abdomen.
But from the way her knuckles had clenched until they turned white, one could vaguely see the turmoil in her heart.
What was she hesitating over?
Or rather, what was she thinking about?
It felt as though a century had passed.
Only when a trace of impatience appeared on Eluca’s face did Ann suddenly lift her foot and walk through the blood toward her.
“You agreed, Master?!”
A blissful smile bloomed across Eluca’s face. Like a butterfly flying toward a flower, she threw herself eagerly at Ann.
“Let us stay together forever, Master. I will always, always... love—”
Her delighted cry ended abruptly.
A flicker of confusion passed through Eluca’s eyes, and then she stiffly lowered her head.
A cold blade was clenched in Ann’s hand.
And then—
it stabbed with perfect accuracy into Eluca’s heart.
Ann’s hand was still trembling, but she forced herself to push harder, harder still, even viciously twisting the blade.
Until the very source of a person’s life, that beating heart, was completely torn to pieces.
“Cough... cough... why... Master?”
Eluca coughed up bloodied fragments of organs, her eyes filled only with bewilderment.
“Do you... not want to accept my love?”
“I’m sorry...”
Ann raised her head. Her eyes, always so strong, were tinged red.
“I’m sorry... Eluca. I can’t let you hurt any more people.”
“Cough... cough... what are you saying, Master?”
Tilting her head, Eluca asked in confusion,
“I clearly haven’t hurt anyone.”
“I only gave them... my love.”
“I love them, Master. What is wrong with love?”
“Shut up—!”
Ann suddenly lost control and shouted in fury, “That is not love at all!”
“If it isn’t love, then what is it? This is obviously love. Taking everything of the one you love and making it your own—this is exactly what you taught me, Master!”
Eluca widened her eyes and walked toward Ann step by step, forcing Ann to retreat again and again.
It was as if having her heart shredded had no effect on her at all.
While spitting out blood and flesh, she stared with wide, innocent eyes like a naive child and asked curiously,
“If it isn’t, then tell me, Master. What is true love?”
“Tell me, Master. Aren’t you my master?”
“What is love? What is it? How can I give you true love?”
“I...”
Ann’s lips trembled, but no words came out.
What was love?
Was love truly possession?
That had once been the belief she trusted without reservation, without the slightest doubt.
Yet now, facing Eluca, she did not even have the courage to say it aloud again.
Clang.
Ann stopped retreating when her body struck a cold step.
Before she knew it, she had nowhere left to go.
“Ah...”
Suddenly, something grabbed the hem of Ann’s skirt.
She instinctively turned back, and then saw it.
The disemboweled girl lying on the iron bed had stretched out a withered hand and caught hold of her dress.
As she cried, she said,
“I love you...”
So affectionate...and yet so horrifying.
“No...”
No.
No.
This was not love.
This absolutely was not love.
The love I know should never be something this ugly.
Something had gone wrong. Something had definitely gone wrong!
Gritting her teeth, Ann roughly tore her skirt free from that hand and stumbled away to the side.
“Master, don’t run.”
Eluca suddenly pounced at her, moving with an agility utterly unlike that of an ordinary mage.
She slammed Ann to the ground and pinned her beneath her. A strange flush had risen over her cute face.
“Please answer my question.”
Inside her open blouse, that dark face writhed and twisted, then cast a venomous glare down at Ann.
At the same time, it kept calling out,
“I love you...”
“I love you...”
“I love you...”
“Stop saying that...”
Ann struggled with all her strength.
She wanted to break free of Eluca.
But those cries full of “love” clung to her like maggots on rotting flesh.
No matter how hard she tried, she could not throw them off. Like crawling insects, they gnawed at her sanity.
“I love you...”
“Please... stop saying that.”
“I love you I love you I love you...”
“Stop saying it...”
“I love you love you love you love you love you love you love you love you... I love you, Master.”
“Shut up!”
Ann closed her eyes in agony.
As if by instinct, a sharp blade condensed in her hand.
Slash.
Slash again.
The sound of flesh being cut rang out again and again.
Hot blood splattered everywhere, mixing with the cold, foul-smelling liquid that had long since pooled on the floor.
The weight on top of her suddenly lightened.
“Ha... ha...”
Ann opened her eyes and stared at the blood-spattered ceiling.
Though she had barely moved, she gasped violently for air as though she had just come through a life-and-death battle.
“I’m... sorry.”
Ann got to her feet and bowed her head to Eluca, who had already been cut into several pieces.
“I had to do this.”
Even though it felt as though a giant hand had seized her heart in a merciless grip, crushing it with unbearable pain.
Even though her soul was on the verge of drowning in overwhelming guilt, unable to breathe.
The last of Ann’s reasons still told her that Eluca had to be killed.
If the corruption of the evil god were allowed to spread, there was no knowing what terrifying consequences would follow.
“I’ll cremate you properly and bury you together with the ones you loved.”
Staggering slightly, Ann walked toward the door, intending to go to the kitchen and find something that could start a fire.
“Ah, I get it now!”
But after only a few steps, an exclamation of sudden realization came from behind her.
Her heart stopped.
“Wh... what?”
Ann’s teeth chattered as she slowly turned around.
And then she saw—
Eluca, reduced to nothing but a head, wore a look of boundless delight, as though she had finally understood something.
Then she said:
“I understand now. This is Master’s love too, isn’t it?”