Episode 110: I’ll Give You an Arm, Two, or Even Three… !
Even while Idiot and I were talking, Lecty was diligently continuing Rosalie’s treatment. Large beads of sweat formed on her forehead, trickling down her cheeks and dripping from her chin. Rosalie’s appearance was gradually returning to human, but she still leaned towards the monstrous form.
It felt like she could return to her original form if given enough time. However, it was uncertain whether Lecty’s stamina and mental strength would hold out until then…
“…It’s noisy over there,” Idiot muttered, glancing behind him. Indeed, even to my ears, which were in a normal state, I could faintly hear the sounds of clashing swords from beyond the corner. Cicely-san might be fighting enemies.
“I’ll go check the situation. Hugh, I’m counting on you to look after Lady Lecty.”
“Yeah, leave it to me.”
After exchanging nods, Idiot dashed towards the sound of clashing swords.
As for me, I could only watch over Lecty’s treatment. How frustrating… If only the number of brainwashed targets was two, I could switch my Skill to Holy Maiden and help.
“Ugh…”
She must be nearing her limit. Lecty was gritting her teeth, desperately continuing to use her Skill. Rosalie’s appearance had finally reached a point where one could feel a trace of her former human self. Her size was also returning to the human range.
Just a little more… but,
“Ugh… –ah!”
The next moment, Lecty’s body swayed.
“Lecty!”
I rushed over in a panic and caught Lecty’s body as she was about to fall. Lecty was shedding large tears from her eyes, biting her lip in frustration.
“I’m… sorry! I… couldn’t save Rosalie-san…! Just a little more! I can’t… anymore!”
“…I see. Thank you for doing your best until the very limit, Lecty.”
I picked up Lecty, who had started crying loudly, and carried her a short distance away, placing her on the floor. By the time she could use Cleanse again, Rosalie’s body would probably have already begun to collapse.
To save Rosalie, I had to take a gamble.
Release the brainwashing, and then I would switch my Skill to Holy Maiden and take over the treatment. If I did that, I should be able to completely return Rosalie to a human.
The problem was that Rosalie might attack me the moment the brainwashing was released. I wouldn’t know what would happen until I actually released the brainwashing. That was the gamble.
Now that her body had shrunk so much, she could easily pass through the iron bars, which she had been stuck on before…
I moved Lecty away. If anyone was going to be attacked, it would be me.
…It’s not like I want to be hurt, but I have to be prepared.
“Brainwash Release.”
I released Rosalie’s brainwashing—immediately after,
“GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
Rosalie let out a beast-like roar and leaped at me, slipping through the gaps in the twisted iron bars.
“–Ugh! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?”
I instinctively thrust out my left arm and was knocked down by the impact.
Looking at the source of the intense pain, Rosalie had sunk her sharp teeth into my left arm. Her teeth easily pierced through the hem of my blazer, tearing into the flesh of my left arm. They might even have reached the bone.
The pain was so intense that my vision was about to fade. Still, I somehow gritted my teeth and looked into the hand mirror I was holding in my right hand.
“Hugh Pnosis…! Your Skill is… Holy Maiden!”
I felt the sensation of my Skill switching in my mind.
“Cleanse! Come back, Rosalie!”
I grabbed Rosalie’s head with my right hand, while she was still biting my left arm, and activated my Skill. Rosalie’s entire body was enveloped in a pale blue light, and particles of light overflowed.
Rosalie began to thrash as if she hated the light. I tried to restrain her using the Physical Enhancement of the Holy Maiden Skill, but I couldn’t restrain her as well as I wanted because my left arm was useless.
“Hugh-san!”
I heard Lecty’s voice, a scream mixed with my name.
“Lecty, hold Rosalie down!”
“Y-yes!”
Lecty jumped on top of me and Rosalie, as if covering us, and put Rosalie’s flailing arms in a headlock. Together, we somehow managed to hold Rosalie down and continued to use Cleanse.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
“Just a little more! Hang in there, Rosalie!”
“Please come back! Rosalie-san!”
I continued to use Cleanse with all my might, and how much time had passed? The force of Rosalie’s attempts to escape her restraints rapidly weakened, and she eventually went limp.
When I looked at her, Rosalie had completely regained her original form. The light particles that had been surging just now had also disappeared.
Her clothes had been torn to shreds due to her body expanding, leaving her naked, but there were no visible injuries or traces of her being a monster.
For now, it seemed like Cleanse was no longer needed.
With Lecty’s help, I laid Rosalie down on the floor. I got up, trying my best not to look at Rosalie’s naked body. Blood was constantly flowing from my left arm.
I wanted to use Heal immediately, but… I couldn’t. I was too dizzy from using Cleanse continuously and from the excessive bleeding.
I didn’t think I could use my Skill in this state.
“Are you alright, Hugh! Lady Lecty!”
“Rosalie-sama!”
I could hear Idiot’s and Cicely-san’s voices from afar.
It seems like everything is okay now…
“Lecty, take off my blazer and put it on Rosalie… I’m going to rest for a bit…”
I took off my blazer as much as I could with just my right arm, and just as I was about to lose consciousness.
Someone gently embraced my body from behind.
“Heal.”
A gentle, warm, pale green light enveloped my entire body with a sense of security like a cradle.
“Please rest well, Hugh-san.”
Watched over by the smiling Lecty, I lost consciousness.