CH 23

[Then, I’ll Purify It!]

That attack was really large in scale.

Even if she was a god, she likely couldn’t launch it successively.

The strategy we made based on that idea turned out successfully.

——DOGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!

“Now!”

After flying back to above the massive hole and inducing another attack, we charged into the bottommost part in an instant—then, we met her.

“Is that, Mother Earth-sama…!?”

“—Gigyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

A being was rampaging while constantly discharging black mud-like substance from all over her body. She was shaped like a woman.

No, it might be more precise to say that we humans were the ones who were shaped based on her figure instead.

Even if, most of her whole body, including her head, was festered and no longer functioning except her mouth.

“W-what’s this…!? Is this really the god of life who purifies the earth’s filth…!?”

“Honestly speaking, this is beyond my expectation… To think she has transformed into a being that produces filth like this…”

Naturally, Arca and Magmell couldn’t hide their shock, either.

I was sure without a doubt that this wasn’t her original form.

I mean, she was the goddess of purification and life.

She must have been a very beautiful goddess.

But most likely, the filth in the earth had accumulated too much for her to purify.

Due to that, Mother Earth-sama, who was supposed to give birth to new life from the filth that she had purified, had come to give birth new life from the filth itself.

Her purification couldn’t keep up with the rate the filth was accumulating, and she ended up being swallowed by it.

“Please look over there! Monsters are being born from the mud one after another!”

“Kh, if we don’t do something about Mother Earth-sama soon, the world will eventually be flooded with monsters!”

“I know! So, you two please stop the monsters from going out as best as you can! Of course, if you think it’s getting dangerous, immediately withdraw! About Mother Earth-sama—I’ll figure something out!”

“I understand!” “Got it!”

After seeing the two nodded, I dropped them down on a nearby rock wall and headed for Mother Earth-sama by myself.

◇ ◇

“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Heavy slash! I slashed at her jaw with a greatsword from below.

It was hard and the blade couldn’t cut into it, but it was enough.

“Gigyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”

——Dogaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!

At the next moment, a torrent of dazzling light flew straight up from Mother Earth-sama’s mouth.

Geez, that’s totally dangerous, I wish she’ll stop firing it.

Maybe she had forgotten herself because of anger, Mother Earth-sama was attacking indiscriminately.

If that hit the wall, not only Mother Earth-sama, but all of us would be buried alive.

I had to end this as soon as possible.

“Oraa!”

——Gakin!

“Gigeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

But what should I do?

Mother Earth-sama was the god of earth.

She had the role of purifying filth and nurturing life.

Killing her meant that there would no longer be anyone who could purify the filth, and it would end up overflowing the world.

Then, as Freyr-sama said, the earth would probably continue to wither away and eventually die out.

In other words— killing her was not an option.

“In that case!” I made up my mind and charged for Mother Earth-sama.

Of course, she opened her mouth and tried to bite me to death, but.

“I’m going iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnn!!”

――Blaze!

“Gigyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?”

With flames shrouding my body, I forcibly broke into Mother Earth-sama’s body.

◇ ◇

Inside was a mysterious place.

I’d thought it would be full of digestive organs or the sorts, like the inside of the flying dragon that ate me before, but.

Turned out it was completely different.

The inside was a pitch-black space that stretched out endlessly.

“U-ugh…”

“!”

Inside the dark space filled with silence, the groan of a woman suddenly echoed. Following it, I made my way to the source.

Then finally, I came upon a woman whose whole body was restrained by the mud-like substance.

She was a beautiful woman who seemed to be in her mid-20s.

By the way, she had no clothes on.

The mud extended up from the woman’s feet seemingly crucifying her.

Most likely, she was the real Mother Earth-sama.

“You… are…?”

Looked like she still retained a minimal awareness.

Albeit weakly, she looked at me and asked who I was.

“My name is Exa. I came to save you.”

“That is… impossible… I am already… defiled…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll heal you.” The moment I touched her, my skin was burned, probably because of the filth.

However, compared to the pain she had suffered until now, this was nothing.

“Please… stop… At this rate… you will…” Mother Earth-sama made a sorrowful face.

I smiled and laughed to reassure her. “No need to worry. After all, I’m—‘immortal’.”

――Squi~sh.

I hugged her slender body.

Now was the time to show off my power.

The power of Vermillion Bird Form that allowed me to heal the injury and also restore the stamina of the person I touched.

If I heal her infinitely, I should be able to heal her and purify the filth defiling her.

——Very well, then, I’ll take care of everything.

All the filth that swallowed Mother Earth-sama, or the new filth that was still overflowing, I’d purify them all!

“Bring it oooooooooooooooooooon!!”

At that moment, a dazzling light engulfed us.