Chapter 1095: Chapter 1095

Rinne couldn’t determine what the source or true nature of the tentacles was, but that writhing mass was a repulsive thing she wanted nothing to do with. She wasn’t the type to reveal her emotions, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have any.

Though failing to get close just moments before, the hundreds of tentacles now began flooding in and smashing through the walls. Nevertheless, Belga continued drawing upon some force in his hands and draining the vitality out of them, turning them to dust.

Unless the source was dealt with, the tentacles would just keep coming no matter how many they cut down. That made them a formidable threat to Rinne, yet they were no match for Belga.

Just as magic wasn’t effective against him, the beams that the tentacles dispersed from their tips scattered before even reaching Belga, and his power disintegrated the tentacles all the way to their unseen roots.

Still, Belga’s power came with a consequence.

“Urgh.” He staggered with a wave of nausea as a spirit-like entity slipped from his mouth and vanished. “There goes another one.”

Belga was quite unique, even among other spiritual entities.

“Charging output. Rinnie assesses the durability of the target. Rinnie analyzes that it needs to be severed in one strike,” she answered plainly as she ignited the World-Destabilizing Spear.

If either Illyna or Davey had been there, things would’ve gone more smoothly. Alas, there was no way to reach Davey from such a place, which meant Rinne would need to handle it herself.

If she had her original peak strength, the World-Destabilizing Spear would’ve been enough. Unfortunately, with her power completely depleted, she couldn’t take full advantage of it.

She had used up all her stored energy in order to forcibly disperse the Sephirothization that continually drained her strength. If she charged her energy more carefully beforehand, she wouldn’t have the issue at all, meaning she had no one to blame but herself.

After all, she had been the one lazing around the ducal house mansion, ceaselessly indulging in gourmet meals.

“Output at seventy-eight percent. Adjusting available firepower range. Target locked,” Rinne murmured briefly. A spear larger than herself shimmered in her hand like a burning thread of fire. At the same time, her pupils flickered with a blue glow.

“Rinne strongly recommends that you fall back!”

Sensing something amiss, the tentacles doubled down, destroying more of the walls and ignoring Belga to surge toward Rinne instead. He reached out urgently to stop them, but not even his unique power was enough to handle them all at once.

Just as some of the surviving tentacles tried to coil around Rinne, she held her stance with the spear drawn back and spoke in a mechanical tone.

[Authorization to execute.]

The small wings on her back emitted light, instantly transforming into three pairs. At the same time, her hair flared outward dramatically.

Particles of immense size gathered around the blade of her spear, forming a blade of light that sliced through the hardened central test chamber.

It was like the world had been cut diagonally and was sliding apart. Belga, watching blankly, quickly threw himself aside as he saw the test chamber—previously unscathed by any attack—begin to fall apart on a slant.

Ignoring the fluids spilling out from inside, he lunged forth and snatched the soul stone within.

The ground shook violently with a massive quake as the strange black light that had been emitting from Tsuna’s soul stone began to fade slowly. Belga looked down at the stone, still unable to comprehend his own actions.

The soul stone slowly dimmed and resonated faintly as if drifting into a peaceful slumber, forming a blurry shape.

It was none other than Tsuna!

With a groggy expression like someone just waking up, she looked around. As her memories resurfaced, she clasped a hand over her mouth in anguish. She was only able to speak spiritually.

[Ahh! What... What have I done?!]

Unfortunately for her, she hadn’t lost her memories. She remembered everything from the moment she was stabbed. Eventually, her gaze landed on Belga. She flinched, startled by a memory.

“Hello,” Belga greeted her calmly, and Tsuna clenched her fists tightly as she stared at him in fear.

[I’ve heard about you.]

He didn’t know what to say to that.

[You’re the one who ruined the plains. You’re my enemy.]

Though spiritual, she still sounded exhausted.

[So why did you save me?]

Belga hesitated for a bit, but he soon answered, “I don’t know.”

“I just... didn’t want to see you die.”

The ground shattered as the entire facility began collapsing in on itself.

Reacting quickly, Rinne took to the air in an attempt to escape, grabbing the scruff of Belga’s neck to bring him along. Her orders had been clear about subduing Belga. If she let him get away, everything would’ve been for nothing.

“You dare! You dare destroy my masterpiece and still think you can run away?!” A terrifying roar erupted from beneath the crumbling earth. An explosion of countless tentacles followed, all lashing out at Belga and Rinne.

What burst from the broken earth was a massive maw lined with hundreds—no, thousands of jagged teeth. From within that mouth, something small emerged that had a humanoid torso.

“You filthy little rats!!” the monster bellowed as if it were about to tear them apart piece by piece. “Isn’t this a funny sight? A monster who once hated humans, now protecting one!”

“Did you think I wouldn’t, after partnering with Marquis Barogo? You’re a soulless monster, willing to do anything for your goals! Isn’t that what you spiritual entities are?”

Rinne silently stared at him.

“You were the worst of all,” the monster mocked.

Sneering, the monster dragged Belga toward it using its tentacles, eyeing the soul stone he was holding onto. Tsuna began trembling the moment she saw the creature, clearly haunted by horrible memories.

“Oh? Looks like you remember me.”

[H-How could I forget?! You locked me in a test chamber and did terrible things to me!]

She had been subjected to horrific experiments in the central chamber, transformed into a core spiritual entity that controlled others.

[Donna... Why would Donna...]

“You idiot, you really didn’t know that bitch was our greatest spy?”

Tsuna was rendered speechless. She had known it ever since she was stabbed, but accepting it was another matter entirely.

“I’m not sure what you wanted to believe, but Donna was part of Vatan’s special forces from the beginning. Sure, she stayed by your side for the mission, but she was ours the whole time.”

Tsuna clutched her head in anguish, overwhelmed by confusion. That was when Belga, who had been silent, stepped in front of her soul to shield her.

“You’re the last thing who should be saying that, after all the atrocities you’ve committed,” the monster scowled.

“At the very least, I never killed anyone.”

“Hah! As if. Maybe you didn’t kill anyone directly, but people suffered hellish pain because of what you did.”

Its words struck Belga like a dagger to the heart.

“Ahahah! You and I are the same kind of monster, so acting like you're not is just pathetic!” the monster said while gleaming its eyes. “Join me again. Forget her! Do that, and I will help you and all the spiritual entities inside you achieve the one thing you’ve always longed for.”

While persuading him, it further tightened its constraints on Rinne. “Hand over the soul stone. Her soul has perfect compatibility, so if I fully consume it, I’ll gain power equal to a god—”

“Rinne declares it impossible,” she interrupted, killing the monster’s conversational flow. “A twisted soul like you is only fit for execution.”

Boom!! Chapters first released on novel{f}ire.net

Smirking, it slammed the bound Rinne against the wall. “Right, I almost forgot about you. Are you still counting on Davey O’Rowane? Sorry, but he’s never going to find this place. No one’s coming to save you.”

Seeing her remain silent within the crushed wall, the monster continued, “Belga, give me the soul stone. I’m not complete yet, but once I devour it, no one on the continent will be able to touch me. I’ll give you whatever it is you want.”

Belga stood in silence, deep in thought. He looked at Tsuna’s soul, who stared back at him anxiously. Then, he tightened his grip on the soul stone.

“You can’t satisfy my hunger.”

If they weren’t hungry, they’d have no reason to turn on living beings to begin with.

A single, unified mastermind couldn’t control spiritual beings with egos.. That was why the laws of the world cursed them with unbearable hunger—just to keep them moving out of necessity.

“You think you can keep protecting her? That feeling of fullness is only temporary! The hunger will return, and it’ll torment you again. Will you still be able to protect that bitch then?”

Belga fell silent, visibly shaken. He couldn’t deny it—he wasn’t sure either.

“See? You’re just another monster,” the monster remarked as the tentacles began pulling Belga’s limbs. “I can’t forgive you for ruining my work. I’ll rip you to shreds, right here.”

Tsuna’s soul cried out in desperation, but the monster had already begun tearing Belga apart.

[You... You have so much power! Why aren’t you using it?!]

She screamed at Belga, confused as to why he wasn’t fighting back to live.

Belga stared blankly at her. Then, he suddenly threw her soul stone toward the wall through which Rinne had been slammed.

[What are you doing?!]

“It says it might hurt you.”

“Strangely... I just don’t want to see you die,” he said in a tone that made him sound as if he had accepted his death.

Tsuna looked utterly dumbfounded.

[Why?! What am I to you?! We’ve barely even talked for five minutes!]

Belga simply looked at her, then let out a small chuckle. “Just because.”

His single phrase left Tsuna speechless. She remembered having felt the same way before Donna stabbed her. The emotion she felt wasn’t about the time spent together, but something deeper.

Speechless, her soul fell alongside the soul stone to the wall where Rinne was. Tsuna cried out for her attention.

[Hey! Get up already! Go help that idiot!]

Still, Rinne didn’t move. Though Tsuna was angry that someone said to be Davey’s guard could be taken down this easily, she remained still.

“Save your breath. That thing’s not getting up.”

“I just hit her with enough power to kill a dragon in one strike. Of course, she’s not getting up! Not that I know what a real dragon’s like, though. I’m just going by the records.”

Tsuna’s face slowly twisted in despair. When one of Belga’s legs finally began to disintegrate into particles, Tsuna could only clamp her hand over her mouth in horror.

But then, Rinne, who had been lying motionless with her eyes closed, slowly raised her head and opened her eyes, revealing her blue irises. Within them, strange symbols began spinning rapidly.

Softly, she murmured, “Communication complete. Rinne recommends covering your ears.”

A crimson slash shot through the bedrock, sweeping across the ruined underground space.

The monster, Belga, and Tsuna all stared blankly, unable to comprehend what had just happened. However, they got their answer almost instantly.

The monster—stretching hundreds of meters across—was cleanly sliced into countless pieces. Those who hadn’t covered their ears instinctively winced from the sheer force of the deafening sound.

“Rinne reports completion of the order to capture.”

Someone slowly descended amidst the collapsing ceiling. Dumbfounded, everyone could only look into the man’s crimson eyes and his relaxed smile.

“Pretty damn strange despite not being a taboo. Guess this world really does have all kinds of surprises.”