Chapter 486

Chapter 486

After their mother, cursed by the Sea Dragon, died giving birth to their youngest sister Medusa,

Stheno and Euryale decided to raise their sister, but it was an endless struggle.

Both Stheno and Euryale were still just young girls. Not only raising a child, but even making a living was a challenge.

- Wah...! Wah...!

Each time the young Medusa, her eyes covered, cried, her two sisters by the cradle didn't know what to do.

Still, the girls desperately raised their younger sister.

Feeding her, burping her, holding her, putting her to sleep, singing lullabies...

And when Medusa fell asleep, the two girls would take the boat and fishing gear left by their parents and head out to sea.

Raising a child and earning a living, both were incredibly harsh. But Stheno and Euryale never gave up.

...Time passed.

As Stheno and Euryale grew into adults while raising their sister, the young Medusa also grew rapidly.

Her eyes were covered to prevent using her Petrifying Gaze, and she was always wrapped up even in the hot southern region to hide her grotesque body.

The two sisters cared for their youngest with all their heart, and the three sisters lived happily for each other.

On a starry night, away from people... the two sisters would take their young sibling to the seashore.

They would then unveil Medusa's eyes and show her the outside world.

- Look, Medusa.

Gazing together at the Milky Way filling the sky, the two sisters tightly held Medusa's metal hand.

- The world is so beautiful.

Medusa swallowed her breath.

The sky she looked up to was dazzling.

The sea's surface, reflecting that sky, was also breathtakingly brilliant.

And on that surface, the faces of the two sisters were reflected.

Though they couldn't directly look into each other's eyes, Medusa and her sisters looked at each other through their reflections in the water.

As much as the sky, as much as the sea, her two sisters were lovely. Her kin, sacrificing everything to raise their sister...

But Medusa herself, the face reflected in the water was grotesque.

A serpent's head. Torn mouth. Long tongue. Metal limbs and a body covered in scales...

A monster, so different from her beautiful sisters.

Because she was born a monster, her beautiful and kind sisters had to live a troubled life.

This fact pained the young Medusa's heart.

- Don't be sad, our dear.

The tears that fell from Medusa's eyes immediately turned into sand and dropped.

Embracing Medusa from both sides, Stheno and Euryale whispered.

- We are happy being with you.

- So, we hope you are happy too.

The three girls cried and laughed together.

...Such a night existed.

Now it was a distant memory, almost forgotten by the three monsters.

***

Thump...! Thump...! Thump...!

The heavy movement of the beast echoed through the corridors.

As if searching for something, the beast wandered inside the temple.

"..."

Lilly, covering her mouth with one hand and tightly embracing the sleeping child with the other, was crouching under the desk in the priest's office.

The voice of Torkel, who had been fighting the beast and cursing it until just moments ago, was no longer heard. Perhaps he had been killed by the beast.

Lilly wanted to flee outside the temple while Torkel was buying time, but she couldn't use her legs.

Even if she tried to push her wheelchair, she couldn't go far.

So, she hastily hid here, but whether it was the right decision, she didn't know.

'If my legs were fine...'

Could she have run far away, carrying the child?

With trembling hands covering her mouth, Lilly continued her thoughts.

If her legs had been fine, if she had been a field worker rather than an office worker, more skilled in using attack magic, or if not that, if Godhand... if Kalail was still alive.

Lilly gritted her teeth. What use were these pointless hypotheses?

"..."

Lilly quietly looked down at the sleeping child - Cid's face.

The boy resembled his mother with red hair, and his currently closed eyes were light green like his father's.

He had been a child she had somewhat resented for the pain of his birth.

But once this tiny life was in her arms, all she thought about was protecting him by any means.

Thump... Thump... Thump...

The monster's footsteps faded away. It seemed to have left to search another section of the temple. If lucky, it might just leave the temple altogether.

Lilly inwardly sighed in relief, but then Cid in her arms twisted his body.

"Ah... Ah..."

Lilly tensed up, fearing Cid might cry. But fortunately, after tossing and turning a few times, Cid fell back asleep with babbling sounds.

Phew...

"What can I do. In this situation, even the reserves have to jump in."

As he said this, Stheno twisted her body grotesquely and leaped up from her spot.

"...Ah."

Stheno opened her mouth and fumbled.

"Ah, ga."

Whoosh!

Stheno, still unaware of Zenis, lunged towards Lilly and Cid. But Zenis was no easy opponent.

"Hey! I came to deliver the gospel! Just listen once!"

Zenis dove into Stheno's embrace, brought his hands together as if holding a spear, and then thrust towards Stheno's abdomen.

"God wishes it (Deus Lo Vult)-!"

This time, the stigmata on Zenis's chest emitted light, and in his hands was a long spear of divine power.

Thud!

The spear of divine power pierced Stheno's abdomen.

Stheno stumbled greatly, roaring fiercely and swinging his arm at Zenis. Zenis hastily deployed another layer of divine armor, but

"Cough!"

Bang! Crash-!

He couldn't prevent being struck and thrown by Stheno's attack.

"Grrr...!"

Having dealt with the interferer, Stheno glanced forward.

But Lilly and Cid were no longer there.

"Wowaaaah!"

Lilly and Cid were suddenly grabbed by a black magic power and whisked out through the broken window.

"Right! Right! Got you-!"

Outside the window, in the temple courtyard, stood a Black Magician.

The sorcerer's gestures controlled the black magic power that snatched Lilly out.

"Go!"

The sorcerer immediately placed Lilly on the hand of a nearby golem. On the other hand of the golem sat a golemancer.

The sorcerer yelled.

"Run, you! As far as possible!"

"I was planning to do just that?!"

The golemancer retorted and awkwardly smiled at Lilly.

"I've carried many on a golem, but this is the first time with a newborn and its mother... Hold tight! It won't be as comfortable as a cradle!"

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The golem started to flee hastily.

Crack-!

"Kyaaaah!"

Stheno burst through the wall, roaring in the direction they went, and then gathered strength to give chase.

That's when it happened.

Flash-!

A piercing flash struck down.

The blind swordsman, who had been hiding on the second floor of the temple, struck with a smooth slash from his unsheathed longsword, precisely tearing through Stheno's eyes.

"Kyaaah, Aaaaah?!"

Stheno, in agony, covered her gushing, bloodied eyes with her hands.

"Oh dear, this is unfortunate. I aimed for the neck but ended up slicing the eyes."

The blind swordsman, having leapt down and delivered the slash, fell awkwardly to the floor and chuckled with a sneer.

"Well, it's better than missing entirely."

Just then, Torkel burst out from the corridor.

"Huff...! Huff, is everyone alright?! My apologies, I passed out for a moment..."

Though his helmet was badly dented around the chin, Torkel's eyes still burned with intensity.

And then, soon after.

Swoosh...!

Lucas, running like the wind, joined them, unsheathing his sword as he entered through the temple's entrance.

Observing the people standing before the monster, Lucas bowed his head.

"I am deeply ashamed. This monster is my responsibility. Because of my mistake, the temple has..."

"Acting Commander! I thought you were dead! Glad to see you alive!"

Zenis cheerfully waved his hand as he emerged from the priest's office through a completely shattered wall.

"This crazy monster has been after Lady Lilly and her newborn child. We must do everything we can to stop it."

"That we will."

Five figures stood in a row before the monster.

Lucas. Torkel. Zenis. A Black Magician, and the blind swordsman.

Although their affiliations and composition were a complete mess, they were, in any case, a party of five.

Lucas looked around and gave a faint smile.

"Its a good number for hunting a monster."