Chapter 438: Spirit Possessed by the Black Spirit (Warning: Dark Themes)
I crunched through the snow, stepping outside the sanctuary. The trampled garden and the spot where everyone had collapsed were beginning to be covered by a thin layer of snow.
This place was half filled with ordinary Spirits and half with Black Spirits. Since all the Black Spirits had been named, they wouldn’t attack Spirits around the sanctuary. That said, it didn’t mean they were friendly either.
“Can you change me?”
I wished as I walked. The Spirits and Black Spirits would transform my appearance into what I desired. Right now, I didn’t want to be in the form of Jean.
The sound of crunching snow faded away.
Surrounded by the white snow that concealed the wet black branches and leaves, I found myself in a world of black and white. It felt as if the snow absorbed all sound, and even the wind was silent.
After walking for a while, I spotted a man pinned to a tree by the Black Spirits. His hood and scarf had slipped, revealing a face marred by dark bruises.
The black bruises were where the Black Spirits had infiltrated, mingling with his flesh. To those who could see, the Black Spirits would be writhing deeper within the bruised areas.
“Hello—ah, I guess you can’t hear me,” I waved at the Black Spirits, restoring my sight and hearing, allowing me to speak. The black bruises on the man’s face receded slightly.
“Y-you, Hero…!?” His eyes, half-closed, widened in shock as he rasped out his words.
“Do I look like a Hero?” I asked with a smile.
Right now, I appeared as my former self. Black eyes with two beauty marks beneath them. Dressed in a white shirt and black pants—without the jacket of a school uniform. Black Spirits coiled around me, lifting me into the air.
“Eek!” A small scream escaped him.
I wasn’t trying to intimidate him, but the density of the Black Spirits surrounding me was likely too much to ignore.
I wondered if the concept of a Demon King existed in this world.
“Ah, I see,” I peered into the frightened man’s eyes.
Without needing to ask, knowledge flowed into my mind. Were the Spirits around me reading my thoughts like this?
The vessel binding the Spirits, shattered by Shulm’s spy. The Spirits, confused by their sudden release. A large bird shining in cream, a puppet of the Hero biting down on its wing’s base. The “Bird of Light” struggled, its wounds leaking its power as it turned black.
The Lord’s “Bird of Light,” the Temple’s “Supreme Zabuton,” the fake “Branch” and “Divine Statue” that had been with strong Spirits for many years, now housed Spirits.
“Of the four guardians, two have fallen. The goddess who transfers power to the Divine Statue is absent, and the ‘Bird of Light’ has turned black.”
Without possessing a genuine Spirit’s Branch, the Fortress City remained near the Demon Forest. It made sense that they would start fearing the Black Spirits now. Their defenses were weak, and they were certainly targeted by the powerful Black Spirits.
“Though it seems you’ve defeated the ‘Bird of Light,’ that won’t do, will it? Now I’m angry.”
So much so that I could hardly remain human.
First, I needed to ensure the “Bird of Light” was truly defeated. Second, after its defeat, I had to use the blood of a girl to contain the black remnants of the Spirit within the Demon Forest. This man’s job was to report and handle unexpected situations.
Adventurers from the Fortress City unknowingly accepted requests, while others acted on direct orders from the Lord, moving to kill actively. The Adventurer’s Guild in the Fortress City suspected the Lord and had brought along certain individuals. It seemed the Kanum group was a reinforcement of the latter.
“I-I have to return, or that girl’s sister will die!” The man shouted, stammering.
“…And why should that concern me?” I tilted my head, asking.
“W-what? Did you want to eat the remnants of that Spirit too?” I smiled at the trembling man.
“Though it seems you’ve defeated the ‘Bird of Light,’ I’ll send you another Black Spirit. Ah, but you have remnants of the ‘Bird of Light’ within you, don’t you?—Shall I lend you a bit of magic power?”
I could send another Black Spirit, but since I was at it, I might as well restore the “Bird of Light.”
It seemed he had been unable to move from the Fortress City for quite a long time. The anger of having his freedom taken away and a curse that made him unable to resist a specific bloodline. It was similar to what had bound the Zabuton.
“Now, forget what you’ve seen and heard here, and rest peacefully. When you wake, you can return to your master.”
The man slowly closed his eyes at my voice.
The Black Spirits that had been binding him released their hold, leaving behind the remnants of the “Bird of Light” hidden within him. Since I had made a contract and infused a bit of magic power, it wouldn’t disappear even if he was healthy.
If it were to disappear, it would require kindness, honesty, and a lack of jealousy or hatred from those around him—something that was likely impossible for him and his surroundings.
He would forget this moment upon waking, but if the “Bird of Light” grew, there was a chance it would remember me, its contractor. By then, we would be so intertwined that separation would be impossible, and the face it would recall would be that of the Hero.
The Black Spirits absorbed the nature of what they possessed. I didn’t know what kind of person this man was, but it would likely lead to troublesome outcomes. I was aware of my own malice, but I hoped he would be grateful that I was letting him off this lightly. If my request to Ash and the others had been malicious, I would have taken far more drastic measures.
I made my way through the white and black forest toward my home.
I understood that this body could either become human or Spirit, depending on my will. I wanted to seal the Spirit version of myself along with Jin’s form and personality. I only needed to confirm it once.
Feeling the blood connection with that sister sent a chill through my stomach.
I would return to being Jean and continue my restart. I shifted back to my original form and walked through the snow. As I approached the sanctuary, the Black Spirits began to drift away from me.
Still, should I call Haulon after helping that sister, or would it be better to consult first?
(Next time, we’ll return to some lighthearted banter.)