Pollution Feared Him Too

Theus was only flesh and blood. The instant Nini flung him away, he felt as if he'd been hit by a semi-truck.

Every inch of him hurt.

But moments later, a torrent of vitality surged through the Symbiotic Pact. Before he even hit the ground, his injuries had already healed.

The monster Monica had become spotted him, but Ash blocked its attack. Theus managed to rush in and was just about to touch the monster.

Before he could, however, the Pollution surrounding it reached him first, making contact with his body.

The Banshees' hearts leaped into their throats.

"Here goes! Let's see if my guess is right!"

Theus wasn't nervous in the slightest. Without hesitation, he reached out to touch the great mass of black Pollution.

Everyone lifted their heads and stared fixedly at Theus.

"Please let it work..."

The Pollution swallowed Theus in an instant.

Theus felt as if he'd fallen into water. It was a strange sensation. The black Pollution roiled and boiled, yet felt cool against his skin.

Like diving into the sea and slowly sinking to the bottom.

Layer upon layer of voices sounded in his ears, as if someone were desperately trying to tell him something. But they were so jumbled that he couldn't make out a word.

The chaotic whispers carried a frenzied emotion. It was quiet enough for him to hear his own heartbeat, yet he also seemed to hear a cacophony, as if his soul were standing in a bustling marketplace.

Theus closed his eyes, unmoved.

Outside the Pollution, the monster had abruptly stopped moving after Theus charged in. The Banshees looked anxious, but didn't dare move.

They were waiting.

Theus had just explained what to do. If he failed, they would keep up the Flesh Magic to hold the monster back for a moment, giving Ash a chance to retrieve him.

With the Symbiotic Pact, Theus would most likely survive.

But if he succeeded...

How could he possibly succeed? That terrifying Pollution was difficult to withstand for long, even with Flesh Magic. And he'd charged straight into it alone, with nothing but his mortal body!

How could he resist the Pollution?

And how could he save Monica?

If the Banshees weren't so loyal, they would never have agreed to carry out such an order.

Ash bit her lip and stared fixedly at the place where Theus had charged in.

She would rather fight the monster alone than endure this torment.

Her hands trembled. She knew she couldn't waver, but she couldn't stop herself from imagining the worst.

"He'll succeed."

Ash glanced behind her. Nini had spoken.

"He told me his plan... Trust him. He'll succeed."

Ash said nothing. She tightened her grip on her shield.

Would he succeed?

Not far in front of the monster, Theus was surrounded by Pollution.

Feeling what was happening around him, Theus suddenly smiled. He'd succeeded.

"Just as I thought. I don't know why, but—"

"The Pollution in the Deep Sea is afraid of me."

It had all started not long ago—when Monica had suddenly attacked and sent Nora flying, and Ash had taken the blow for him.

The attack hadn't hit him, but some of the black Pollution had splashed all over him.

At the time, Theus had instinctively wanted to take off his outerwear to minimize his contact with the Pollution.

But before he could move, the Pollution had quickly vanished.

Like snowflakes falling into a boiling pan of oil, the Pollution wailed and tried to flee, but to no avail.

A moment later, not a trace of Pollution remained on him.

What was going on!?

Theus was full of questions, but had no time to investigate. With his life in danger, he dodged Monica's attack, and even then, he'd sensed it faintly.

The Pollution was afraid of him.

The Pollution had roared toward him, still trying to devour him.

But the instant it touched him, it suddenly wailed and fled back even faster than before.

It fled in a frenzy, as if it had encountered its natural enemy, its one true nemesis. Everyone who saw it was struck by the same thought.

"The Pollution... is afraid of him?"

Lying on the ground, Nini murmured in disbelief.

The Pollution retreated, and Theus suddenly realized the monster itself was right in front of him.

Everything had happened so quickly. Ash had only just blocked the monster Monica had become when Theus was already standing before it.

The enormous mass of Pollution that had surrounded it vanished in an instant, like a burst balloon, exposing its original form. The monster had only just turned around.

Theus looked up. It was a swollen, hideous body, somewhat like a Banshee or a Cursed—but far more twisted. The Pollution had completely obscured Monica's flesh, leaving no trace of what it had once looked like.

Before him loomed a swollen Flesh Mountain.

There was no sign of reason left in it.

Could he really save Monica? Save that little Banshee?

Theus's gaze shifted as he recalled what had happened not long ago.

He had reached into the seawater, and the Banshees had signed their pacts with him one by one. Soon, the sea was empty, with only one last Banshee remaining in the water.

Looking at the hand Theus held out to her, she hesitated.

"My lord, I was just infected by some Pollution."

Her abilities were relatively weak. When Monica had suddenly attacked, she'd been struck head-on. The Flesh Magic had faltered for a moment. Though she hadn't burst apart, she hadn't been able to stop the Pollution from reaching her body.

There wasn't much of it, and it hadn't had much effect, but...

Could it spread through the Symbiotic Pact and infect everyone else?

Theus's expression shifted. Remembering how the Pollution had vanished just before, he didn't hesitate to take the Banshee's hand.

The pact was sealed, and vitality surged.

"The Pollution... it's gone?!"

The Banshee stared at her hand in disbelief. The blackness that had just coiled around her arm had disappeared completely.

What had happened!?

Theus felt the strange sensation that had just come through the Symbiotic Pact. His emotions surged. When the pact was sealed, he'd clearly sensed the Pollution inside the Banshee's body, and it had even tried to travel through the pact to reach him.

But when the tainted vitality touched him, it was instantly purified by some mysterious force. That purifying force had even traveled through the pact to the Banshee, cleansing the Pollution on her side as well.

He really was the Pollution's natural enemy!

Theus came back to himself and looked at the "Monica" before him.

The Banshee had only been very lightly contaminated, and he'd been able to purify her. But Monica...

She had already become a monster.

For a moment, Theus seemed to be back at the pier, where a fish monster had weakly begged him for help.

Just as twisted, hideous, swollen, and disgusting.

Theus reached out without hesitation, just as he had before.