Did she already know what I would ask her for?

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After several pleasant minutes, the dragon finally fell.

'I need something else to cut...

Things to cut...

How are Alessia and Delia doing?...

Come to think of it, I haven't seen them since I started fighting the dragon.'

I then turn in the direction where Alessia and Delia were, intending to walk towards them to check on them, but what I see leaves me frozen in place.

'No. This can't be happening...

I defeated the zombie dragon...

We had won...

Then...

What the hell am I looking at?!'

Before my eyes, I have two horrible, grotesque versions of what, until a few hours ago, were my girlfriends.

Alessia is still in the place where she had fallen after the dragon's blow, and Delia is leaning over her.

But now they both have skin of a similar color to that of the zombie dragon's skin.

However, it is not just the color that has changed on their skin, as it is now ripped in multiple places, leaving their bones visible.

As I get a little closer, I see Delia raise her head from whatever she was doing to look in my direction, and I watch in horror as the former Saint is devouring Alessia's intestines.

As what used to be Delia looks at me, the hands of what used to be Alessia claw at the fox girl's face, leaving deep furrows in the now rotting skin of her face.

'No...

How could this happen?...

This is too horrible...

Alessia...

Delia.'

Suddenly an excruciating pain radiates from my head and spreads throughout my body as I shuffle closer to the remains of the two people who had my heart.

A heart that is now in pieces.

'Surely it was a side effect of the first zombie dragon attack, Master...

The contact with the dragon must have contaminated the blonde girl, who in turn contaminated the girl with animal traits...

I'm so sorry.'

Zariche's voice, who had been silent since I mentioned my profiles, emerges from the depths of my mind to explain the reason for what I'm seeing.

'Right...

Alessia was hit directly by the dragon's tail...

But...

That doesn't make sense!...

I'm perfectly fine, despite having touched it.'

'That's because of me, Master...

I was healing you as fast as possible...

Surely that protected you from the side effect.'

Then, seeing that I'm getting closer, they both start grunting and groaning in a disgusting manner.

'It's almost like they're animals...

I can't watch this anymore...

I...

I have to get out of here...

But I can't leave Alessia and Delia's bodies in this state...

I...

I don't know what to do.'

Hearing Alessia and Delia's voices producing those disgusting sounds, plus the disgusting image of the two of them trying to devour each other, makes me feel very sick.

Suddenly, I feel retching, and the edges of my vision lose sharpness.

'Don't worry, Master...

I can take care of helping you give them a more dignified end...

Just let yourself go...

I know the loss of those companions is a terrible thing, but it's something that unfortunately happened...

I will help you to feel better...

Trust me...

Just keep cutting things out...

You'll see how everything will get better as soon as you cut someone again.'

'I sincerely doubt you are right...

But I can't leave them like this...

It's my responsibility that they'll end up that way...

The least I can do is take their remnants with me to make sure they don't go around hurting other people...

I guess that's what they would have wanted.'

So I start walking slowly toward my two new targets.

'Cutting things... That's all you have to worry about, Master... Trust me'

*********

*Omniscient POV following Delia*

"Emir has finished defeating the dragon..." I say in wonder as I continue kneeling next to Alessia, applying greater healing to her wounds.

"... He has defeated it all by himself. He really is just like a hero from the stories."

Alessia is lying on the ground right where she fell after receiving the dragon's attack, as I advised her not to move.

"Don't get too happy. We still have to find a way out of here," Alessia says, breathing heavily.

I've already finished healing most of the damage from the dragon's attack, but for some strange reason the healing is taking me much longer than usual.

It's almost as if the wounds themselves are resisting healing.

But that doesn't make sense.

"At least the danger is over. Now we can rest a bit before we go back to find the path..." I say and, embarrassed, admit what has been rattling around in my head for a few hours now.

"... It seems to me that it's possible Emir doesn't know where we are."

"Obviously! Master is totally and completely lost..." says Alessia, laughing, but quickly stops as she winces.

"... But in his defense, I have to say that this is the first time this has happened to him..."

Then she puts a hand on my left cheek and continues talking.

"... Still, don't worry. Sooner or later we will-"

Suddenly I see Alessia frowning as she looks at Emir's figure while he slowly approaches us.

"... Delia, how much longer until you finish healing me?" suddenly asks Alessia with a strained voice.

"At least 10 or 15 minutes more... don't worry, I assure you that soon you will be able to move again as before..." I say in a reassuring voice.

'It surely grieves her that Emir sees her hurt. How sweet she is...

Although...

It's true that Emir gets too nervous every time one of us gets even the slightest hurt...

And Emir's concern seems to especially irritate her...

I don't understand her...

This protective attitude of Emir is something that I love about him...

It's funny, because I can't stand that kind of treatment when it comes from someone apart from him...

I guess it's because Emir is special to me.'

"... I've already finished healing the most serious wounds."

"Good. That's just what I wanted to hear," she says, attempting to get up.

"What are you doing? You shouldn't be moving yet," I say, stopping the healing and resting both hands on her shoulders to stop her from sitting up.

"I don't want to scare you, Delia, but I think something strange is happening to Master..." she says as she picks up Blue Wind and puts her in my hands.

"... I hope I'm wrong, but I think we should at least be on our guard."

"What do you mean? Emir is perfectly fine," I say, looking towards our own legendary hero.

Then I quickly begin to notice what Alessia is referring to.

I can't pinpoint what it is, but there's something about Emir's posture that seems out of place.

Furthermore, his eyes have a reddish glow and seem unfocused, almost as if he doesn't see us as he walks towards us at an exaggeratedly slow pace.

But that is not the only unusual thing about him, since from the strange sword he is holding comes an odd dark stormy mist with small reddish lightning flashes that envelop his body.

In short, Emir's figure has a strange, menacing appearance, which gives me the creeps.

'I... What should I do?...

Emir would never do anything to harm us, would he?'

' - I imagine he wouldn't, Delia, but right now my creator gives off a very unpleasant aura... More unpleasant than usual... I think you'd do well to heed Alessia... I hope I'm wrong once again about him, but that doesn't seem to be my creator anymore. At least not completely... It is as if there was something external mixed up with him.'

Heeding my companions, I stand up and stand guard protectively in front of Alessia, as surely she must still not be able to move very well.

'My hands are shaking...

Am I...

Afraid?...

This doesn't make sense...

Emir can't inspire in me these kinds of feelings.'

But I don't have much time to dwell on those thoughts because I quickly have to move Blue Wind to block a horizontal slash from Emir. Uploaded by the M|V|L(EMPYR) team.

Emir's attack is ridiculously heavy, and I stagger a bit as I block it.

'That attack was going straight for my neck...

This can't be happening...

We shouldn't be fighting each other.'

' - Delia! Focus and activate Sacred body... Whether I like it or not, my creator is too strong for us'

Following Blue Wind's advice, I start reciting the chant while continuing to block Emir's swift attacks as best as I can.

Sacred Body is the only skill I have thanks to the War Priestess class, and it serves to boost my physical capabilities.

It's a skill that I almost never use, as it consumes a lot of MP.

A resource that is usually reserved exclusively to use my healing skills.

But now we don't have many options.

Each new hit from Emir is like the blow of a hammer on stone.

Currently I'm resisting, but if we continue like this, he will eventually break my defense.

"... SACRED BODY!"

After finishing the chant, I shout in desperation the name of the skill.

Instantly, my body begins to give off a faint golden glow, the only visible proof of the skill's activation.

But at this point I am already on the verge of collapse.

'My arms hurt...

How can it be that our strength is so different...

Emir is too strong.'

' - Don't give up, Delia! ... Now that you've activated Sacred Body, it should be a little easier to withstand his attacks.'

'Yes, you're right...

We have to save-'

Before I know it, one of Emir's thrusts finally sneaks through my defenses and makes a shallow gash in one of my shoulders.

At the same time, I watch as the macabre veins of Emir's sword lose their violet color and take on the red color of my blood.

At that moment, I realize that I feel as if my body is a little heavier.

It is like the sensation of moving underwater, although it is not as intense.

Emir's attack was originally aimed at my face, and it would have connected with its target except that Alessia has stepped between us from below at full speed, deflecting Emir's attack with her sword.

"I think you're being too rough with Delia, Master..." she says as she moves fluidly.

"... I don't like it. You need someone to put you in your place."

Alessia's action causes Emir to momentarily lose his balance and lose his grip on the hilt of the great sword with one of his hands.

Alessia takes that opportunity to kick him in the crotch.

I take a step back and then step onto one of the three empty potion bottles on the ground behind us.

'Those are HP potion bottles...

Haa...

I guess that's how Alessia ended up recovering from her injuries.'

Strangely, neither Alessia's words nor actions seem to stop Emir in the slightest, as he moves his free hand to hold Alessia's leg in the air while with the other hand he swings the sword to try to cut off my girlfriend's limb.

But then Alessia uses her free leg to kick him hard in the chin, whereupon Emir momentarily stops again, taking an awkward step backward.

Alessia seizes the opportunity to break free of his grip, spinning momentarily in mid-air before returning both her feet to the ground.

"Don't worry, Delia. From this moment on, I'll be in charge of blocking Master" Alessia says, pointing her sword at Emir.

"Alessia, we mustn't hurt him. He is Emir..." I say, frightened by the apparent ease with which Alessia is attacking our boyfriend.

"... There has to be a way to free him from whatever is happening to him."

"It's possible. But we can't just dedicate ourselves to simply blocking his attacks and waiting for the way to free him to magically present itself to us..." says Alessia as she deflects a slash from Emir and uses her free hand to deliver a devastating punch to his face, which breaks his nose.

"... If I had to guess, I'd say that what's happening to him is the fault of that sinister thing he's holding in his hands. For the moment, we should try to knock it out. Once he is incapacitated, we will be able to calmly analyze what is happening to him."

As she withdraws her fist, a lot of blood starts to flow from Emir's broken nose.

But while Alessia tries to put distance back by jumping backwards, Emir manages to cut her lightly on the right forearm.

As soon as the sword first cuts Alessia's skin, Emir's nose stops bleeding.

' - What the hell? Why does this tiny cut hurt so much, and why is it that ever since I started fighting Master I feel like I'm gradually getting heavier? I should have been able to avoid that attack. Is it some side effect resulting from the blows of that sword? But... isn't this the first time it has managed to touch my skin? Shit, this is bad... Combining Sword breathing style and Counterattack I was somehow able to control Master's absurd speed and strength, but... if I can't allow that nasty sword to hit me in the slightest again... that means I can't even block it... I have to think of something... Suddenly, the task of knocking out Master seems nearly impossible... But we have to try anyway.'

"Delia, don't let that weird sword touch you. Don't even think about blocking it with Blue Wind..." says Alessia, jumping back again to try to gain some more distance between Emir and her.

"... If I'm right, something very strange happens to us every time it manages to touch us."

"S-so what do we do? Do we run away from Emir? ..." I say, and I can't help the desperation I feel coming through in my voice.

'How could this happen?...

God, help us'

"... We can't leave him like this. We have to save him!"

"We will save him... I just don't know how to do it yet. For now, stay away from us and attack his blind spots with that unfair spear of yours," says Alessia, while making several acrobatic movements at full speed to dodge the blade of Emir's sword, which keeps trying to blind the girl's life.

"I... I don't know if I have the courage to attack Emir." I say as I run to get away from the two of them.

"Delia! I need you to help me. As much as it pisses me off, I can't stop the Master by myself..." says Alessia with her voice very shaken by the effort.

"... Agh, shit!"

As she speaks, Alessia is forced to deflect a lunge aimed at her heart, but she can only partially avoid the damage as she takes a deep cut in her left bicep.

But she is not the only one to take damage, as she takes the opportunity to lean in and twist her body around Emir, after which she gives him a wide gash behind one of his legs, just below the calf.

I then watch in dismay as blood begins to ooze from both wounds.

Emir staggers a little, but the wound quickly stops bleeding.

And now it is only Alessia who is still bleeding profusely.

' - How irritating it is to feel myself getting heavier and heavier... If we go on like this, I'm going to eventually make some serious mistake... I need Delia to help me... But she has never fought people before... And I'm asking her to attack Master... I think I should forget about her help... Think, Alessia!... There must be some way you can beat him alone... Master is not invincible.'

'I hate this situation...

But I can't allow Emir to keep hurting Alessia any more...

Blue Wind, I want you to help me attack Emir in the places where it's hardest for him to be able to block us...

We need to distract him long enough so that Alessia can knock him out.'

' - It's okay, Delia. Don't worry. Just point me at my creator and I'll take care of the rest.'

But, as I have gathered my resolve, I watch in horror as Alessia's sword flies out of her hand due to the terrible force with which Emir has deflected the last of the young girl's attack.

Then, in a flashing motion, Emir's sword swings toward Alessia with a swift thrust.

The now unarmed Alessia can only watch in surprise as Emir's sinister blade begins to pierce the skin of her stomach, having worked its way through her clothes and chainmail like paper-thin layers.

' - Damn it... I hate being so weak... I wish I could have stayed by your side for longer, Master... But I wasn't even able to help you when you needed me most... I can't get distracted now... I have to try to delay him any way I can so Delia can escape... Hehe... At least I'm going to give Master one last big hug before I die... that won't hold him for long, as he's a hell of a lot stronger than me, but right now I don't have many more options.'