Beautiful Nightmare

Things were not going smoothly.

If the Evil Spirits on the first floor had been little more than low-level mobs, then the dead on the second floor were much harder to deal with. Though they were already dead, they still had an instinctive understanding of combat techniques. Their rotting bodies were quite fragile, but still more than sturdy enough to resist Lize's half-formed positive-energy attacks. Before long, surrounded by the dead, Rhode and Lize had no choice but to return to the most conventional battle formation. Rhode and the Flame Slayer held off the monsters at the front, while the girl behind them resumed her original position and began casting shields and purging poison from Rhode, no longer trying to fill in as a damage dealer.

We're almost there.

After glancing at the decorations on the wall and comparing them to his memories, Rhode swung his longsword once more, tearing through the dead's defenses. Blades of light scattered from the weapon, whirling through the air before mercilessly piercing the bodies that had long since rotted and ought to have returned to dust, but still moved under the influence of magic. A tremendous blast of air erupted, sweeping up severed limbs and scraps and sending them to the far end of the shadowy corridor.

The farther they went, the angrier Lize became.

The dead blocking their path weren't just mercenaries. Some looked like servants, and there were even children among them. They were all victims who had vanished inside this haunted mansion. But under the control of that evil magic, they had been forced to awaken from the rest they should have been granted and become accomplices to evil.

"What kind of evil could cause so much suffering?"

Lize clasped her hands tightly and murmured to herself.

"Any kind of evil can cause suffering."

Rhode swung his longsword and directed the "resurrected" Flame Slayer to breathe fire at the undead before them, answering offhandedly.

"But this is too much!"

"Power is different for everyone."

The undead, dressed in a tattered servant's dress with a face barely recognizable, opened her mouth wide and lunged at them with a wail. But before she could grab Rhode's clothes, the light of Star Trace had already pierced her forehead.

"An outcome never changes because of your motives."

Pulling out his sword, Rhode casually cut down another Rotting Corpse trying to approach him and raised an eyebrow.

"So once you've made a decision, you have to face the consequences it brings."

"Huh?"

Lize froze at his words. She had no idea why Rhode had suddenly said something like that, but before she could ask, a chill ran down her back. Then a heavy object dropped from above and latched onto her body.

"Ah!!"

The intense pain made the girl cry out. She turned around on instinct, only to stiffen all over.

Behind her, a child who looked only two or three years old was crawling on the ground. Its skin was purplish-black, its eye sockets hollow and dark, and its open mouth held nothing but rotten, shriveled flesh. Its tiny hands dug into the girl's shoulders like iron pincers. The moment it saw Lize turn around, it lunged for her neck. Just then, a streak of white light flashed by. Rhode's sword mercilessly chopped off the child's oversized head. Its little hands released the girl, and its headless body fell to the floor before crumbling into dust and disappearing through the cracks.

"-----"

Lize stared blankly at the floor, unable to recover for a long moment, until Rhode's voice sounded beside her.

"Be careful."

"Ah, yes!"

Only then did Lize feel the searing pain in her shoulder. She gritted her teeth, cast Purge Poison on herself, and then renewed her shield. She felt much better after that. It was only then that the girl noticed something was amiss. She looked up in surprise and saw that the way ahead was clear. Most of the Rotting Corpses that had been attacking them now lay on the ground, turning to specks of dust in the faint breeze.

"What is this..."

"Looks like our opponent knows it can't beat us and is trying something new."

Rhode lowered his longsword, then turned to look at Lize's shoulder and frowned.

"How bad is it?"

"I-it's all right. It didn't go too deep."

Lize stood up and answered softly. What had just happened had shocked her so badly that she still hadn't recovered.

"Let me see."

There were no enemies nearby, so Rhode signaled for the Flame Slayer to keep watch. Then he went over to Lize, crouched beside her, and spoke.

"I-I'm fine."

At his words, Lize immediately grew flustered. She instinctively pressed a hand to her shoulder and shook her head.

"Let me see."

Rhode's expression didn't change as he looked at Lize. He simply repeated himself calmly.

"..."

Lize fell silent for a moment, but eventually lowered her hand.

Ten small, bloodstained punctures stood out starkly against her white robe. Blood slowly seeped from them, staining the fabric.

Rhode crouched and grabbed Lize's robe, then tore it open with a sharp pull.

Her fair shoulder was mangled and bloody.

"Did you purge the poison?"

"Yes. I think it's all right."

"Good."

Rhode nodded without saying anything more. Then he took the canteen from his waist and began washing the wound.

"—!!!"

A surge of pain made Lize suck in a breath. She looked up at Rhode as he focused on cleaning and treating her wound, her feelings complicated.

"Mr. Rhode..."

"Hmm?"

"Um... I'm really sorry about what just happened. I lost focus..."

"You don't need to apologize to me. I'm not the one who got hurt."

"Uh..."

Lize stared at him for a moment, then let out a little laugh.

"S-sorry, I..."

"I said you don't need to apologize to me."

"Ah, all right, sor—"

Lize finally realized what she was doing. She smiled too and said no more, quietly watching the man before her.

What kind of person was he?

Lize couldn't find an answer to that question. Before becoming a mercenary, she had met plenty of people, and after becoming one, she had met even more men. But she had never met anyone like Rhode. He was only a few years older than her, yet calmer and more composed than many who had spent their whole lives on the edge of a blade. He was also absolutely confident, never doubting what he said, and sometimes even a little overbearing. But why did she trust him so much? Of course, he wasn't perfect. He hardly ever smiled, which made him terribly dull...

"All done."

Rhode's voice brought Lize back to her senses. Only then did she realize that he had already bandaged her wound.

"Move it a little. Any problems?"

"Not much, as long as I don't make any sudden movements..."

As a Spirit Master, Lize naturally knew how to regulate her body. If the wound hadn't been in such an awkward spot, she wouldn't have needed Rhode's help.

"Good."

Rhode nodded and stood up.

"Get ready. We're moving on. We don't have much time to waste."

After that frenzied battle, the undead seemed to have realized how formidable Rhode was and stopped appearing. The two of them were once again surrounded by the same quiet as before. But they both knew that a storm was gathering. Rhode relied on his experience with the quest, while Lize relied on an angel's instincts. Before long, they arrived at a large door. It was the only place in the entire mansion that remained intact, clean, and tidy. The surrounding dust, litter, and cobwebs only made it seem all the more eerie. Only Rhode knew that this was the studio of the Sairiel Family's renowned artist—and where it had all begun.

"It's in there."

Lize swallowed instinctively. Her shoulder seemed to be going numb again. The evil seeping through the gap in the door nearly made her choke. For the first time in her life, the girl realized that the word "evil" could actually take on a tangible form.

Rhode pushed open the door.

The sight inside made both of them hold their breath without thinking.

If they had to describe the scene before them in one word, what would it be?

Evil? Filthy? Foul?

None of those.

The first thing this room made them feel was—holiness.

Pure white filled the entire room. Ornate stone pillars supported the vaulted ceiling, and moonlight poured through a circular opening in the middle of the ceiling, casting the room in a dreamlike beauty. At the heart of that radiance stood a statue.

It was a woman.

She was completely naked, her arms folded around herself and her long hair falling over her shoulders. Her lovely face, delicate features, and beautiful smile, tinged with playfulness, were utterly captivating. Anyone who saw her at first glance would unhesitatingly believe she was the most beautiful work of art in the world. There was nothing else like her.

"So beautiful..."

Even Lize couldn't help exclaiming. In that instant, the evil presence and the eerie undead seemed to have been cast from her mind. She instinctively stepped forward, wanting a closer look at the sculpture, but Rhode was quick to grab her shoulder.

"Ah."

For a moment, Lize was bewildered at being stopped, but she soon shivered and came to her senses. At the same time, Rhode whistled and pointed ahead. At his command, the Flame Slayer charged into the room without hesitation, baring its fangs and claws at the nearly flawless sculpture.

But the black hound didn't get the chance to reach it.

"Whoosh!!"

Several long, slender arms suddenly emerged from the walls and floor, grabbing the Flame Slayer by its body and limbs.

"Awooo!!"

The black hound struggled fiercely in midair, trying to turn around and bite the arms restraining it. But before it could move, the arms clutching the hound swiftly pulled back and tore it to pieces. The moment the Flame Slayer was torn apart, its self-destruct trait activated once more!

"Boom!!!"

Blazing flames suddenly spread through the room. At the same time, a piercing, shrill scream rang out of nowhere!