Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 2102, page 2074: The Goddess of Corruption
The communication between Messermo and Lann can be described as indecisive.

Just a moment ago, their combined efforts had effectively suppressed Malenia.

It was clear that it could inflict further damage and weaken her.

With the hook that was pulling at the wound on Malenia's shoulder, even though it would be severed in a second at most, there was already so much that Messermo and Lann could do in that second.

However, neither of them expected that in just that instant, their original advantage would be reversed.

Suppressing his nausea and disgust, and abandoning all restraints, Messermo unleashed his true nature, managing to pull himself back from his weakened state.

Even so, just when victory seemed assured, he was immediately captivated by Michaela's charm.

If such formidable fighting power were to fall into the enemy's hands, then there would be no way to fight them.

Therefore, we should not risk being at the expense of a situation close to victory, nor should we take such a risk.

"puff!"

A flame ignited from Lann's left hand, a ring of fiery red golden law symbols flashed before it, and then he slapped it directly onto his chest.

The flames entered his body, instantly cleansing away the decay that had stained the plaza where he was located, which was completely enveloped by the giant flowers.

If Messermo's method of resisting Crimson Corruption was still using powerful brick-throwing attacks, then Lann's method was a spell specifically designed to counter Crimson Corruption.

The healing power of fire!
Incorporate flames into the body to burn away pathogens and contaminants.

The targeted spell caused a burning, slight pain in the witcher's body, and his pale skin turned slightly red.

However, the crimson, decaying red mist no longer dared to approach his body or mouth.

However, after casting a spell specifically designed to ward off external infection, the Witcher did not stop. Instead, there was another 'poof' sound!
Another flame ignited from his left hand, the same red pattern flashing past before he pressed it against his chest.

This time, it wasn't just a matter of his pale skin turning slightly red. His body was practically engulfed in a thin film of flames!
If we say that "the healing power of fire" is a spell that gently processes and regulates fire before incorporating it into the body, it can be interpreted as a "small green light" given to fire watchers within the framework of the Golden Law.

So this spell... this spell that uses the primal power of fire to enhance the body from within, is completely 'overstepping the boundaries'!

【O flame, grant me strength!】

The fire within my body brought a surge of vitality and power, as well as a burning pain.

However, Lan En remained unfazed, merely loosening and tightening his grip on the hilt of the Lake Maiden's Sword as he experienced the temporary surge in power.

His completely black pupils looked upwards.

Looking at Marlenia, who was floating quietly in mid-air, with the radiant Michaela behind her and a pair of wings.

The appearance of the Goddess of Corruption is accompanied by [blooming].

This is a fragmented description of crimson corruption in the mythology of the borderlands.

But now, Lan En has witnessed the legend come true.

The enormous flower vanished after it opened, leaving only Marlenia in the center of where the bud had been.

At this moment, the Valkyrie has a pair of huge wings on her back.

The wings weren't uniformly colored; they included black, red, and white, as well as many gradient colors. They looked like something composed of a pile of withered leaves of varying freshness.

But upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that it is not a pile of fallen leaves of varying freshness, but rather wings composed of mottled, decaying butterflies!

In mid-air, Malenia was completely naked.

Her clothes could not withstand the crimson decay that had just erupted; only her prosthetic limbs and prosthetic knife, made of pure gold, remained intact.

His cold yet refined face was now marred by a bloodshot, decaying gaze. His tall, powerful figure, though fair-skinned, bore the marks of decay and cracks.

A few decaying butterflies swarmed around her, dancing joyfully.

They were followers of the goddess of corruption.

If the Corruption Butterfly is considered a wise beast, then Marlenia might also be worthy of being called a 'King'.

Marlenia floated in mid-air, her red hair still as fiery as ever.

She looked down at the Witcher, unlike before, she didn't try to escalate the pace of the battle indefinitely, hoping to quickly secure victory with her own speed.

This didn't seem like the Valkyrie's personality, but inexplicably... when he felt a sweet floral fragrance beside his shoulder, in addition to the morbid smell of crimson decay, Lan En felt that he understood Marlenia's feelings at this moment.

"It wasn't easy, was it?" This was the first time Lan En had spoken to Marlenia in the few dozen seconds since the start of the battle.

He spoke calmly, as if stating an obvious fact: "After making this cruel and difficult decision."

Marlenia's right hand hung naturally at her sides, her prosthetic knife still sharp and extended forward.

But her left hand...

The Witcher glanced quickly: her left hand was awkwardly held across her abdomen, gripping her own right elbow.

This is a very typical defensive posture. Defensive, and helpless.

From the moment she was born, she had been battling a debilitating disease within her.

Every single second she lived proclaimed her indomitable will to fight, to achieve victory, to survive a new day, and to prepare for the outcome of the battle tomorrow.

But today, the day when the brother and sister's vision has finally taken that great step... she personally surrendered to the putrid disease.

To become the goddess of corruption would be an unparalleled honor for the followers of Crimson Corruption, even just to witness it. But for Malenia herself, it was merely a humiliating defeat—the defeat itself was not shameful, but the defeat itself was shameful because she had betrayed her own life of the previous hundreds of years.

So now, even with the sophisticated prosthetic limbs made using the technology of the Sacred Tree and pure gold, her golden fingers are trembling.

It was precisely because he saw these phenomena that Lann, whose speed was already slower than Marlenia's, was confident that he could cast a spell on himself.

The time it takes for either of those two spells is enough for Malenia to make hundreds of cuts.

"..."

Marlenia made no response to Lann's words. She simply looked down at the Witcher's position as if her eyes were still there.

"Why, Lann? Why resist the gentle laws? What about an era where everyone can be happy?"

Is she questioning me, or questioning herself?
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Lan En's mind, but he didn't say it aloud; he simply shook his head.

“Mikaela can’t do it.”

Lan En spoke softly, but his tone was firm. He looked at the blond, handsome boy on Marlene's shoulder.

Michaela's beautiful face still wore a faint smile, her eyelids lowered, as if the scene had no effect on her.

"Even if you manage to do it, it will only be a mistake."

As Lan En stared at the Valkyrie's empty eye sockets, the hair on his body suddenly stood on end the moment he finished speaking.

"..."

Marlene didn't speak again, and her left hand, which had been pressing on her right elbow, naturally fell down.

The golden blade pointed at Lan En, who was now all alone, and the Valkyrie made her declaration.

“The scarlet flower has bloomed; witness what ‘creepy’ truly means.”

"Now, let corruption take hold."

Marlenia's voice was as cold and low as before, as if she were announcing death.

The Witcher waved his hand, the faint flames on his body dispelling the putrid red mist in front of him, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

He knew that after suppressing her wavering emotions, Malenia would definitely return to her high-speed combat mode to avoid a prolonged entanglement.

This is her quality as a soldier—since her mental state is not ideal, but she has to fight, she must end it quickly.

If she can't even do this much self-assessment, she shouldn't call herself a Valkyrie.

Even though he could tell that his opponent was about to enter high-speed mode, Lan En's smile didn't falter despite the dire situation.

"I'm not planning to rot away so soon."

He spoke with a slightly teasing smile.

But the words had barely left his mouth!

"Wow~"

The sound of surging light suddenly fell silent after it had just begun!

A moment later, Lan En's retina finally caught sight of the trail of light that connected the corrupt goddess in mid-air to the path behind him!
He had seen a similar scene just over ten seconds ago.

—【Light Speed ​​Slash】!
A slash that transforms into light!
Just like before, Marlenia herself and the phantom following behind her delivered a total of five slashes that landed on the Witcher's neck!
Because this was not a horizontal movement but a falling attack, the entire God's Gate Plaza trembled under Marlenia's attack!
Marlenia, who had already appeared behind Lann, did not turn around.

This was a light-speed slash that even Messermo couldn't react to, and Lann had no chance to resist.

'Lan En...'

Marlenia sighed inwardly as she pondered the name.

This was one of the few people she could truly feel relaxed around. He was courageous and responsible, daring to stand alone in front of her at this critical moment.

But power is power.

Even if the flames could slightly resist the crimson corruption, what chance did he have of surviving under Michaela's light...?
Before the Valkyrie could even finish thinking, a powerful hand that shouldn't have appeared grabbed one of her wings!

【Light Speed ​​Slash】is a move that Marlenia and Michaela can only perform after they cooperate.

Moving by turning her body into light does not mean that Malenia's neural reaction speed is already at the speed of light.

In fact, this move is executed both during the aiming phase before it is launched and during the phase of re-materializing and attacking after reaching the target.

These stages still depend solely on Marlenia's own reaction and reaction speed.

Marlene didn't know why, after she had just slashed Lann's neck five times and hit him every time, how was the Witcher still alive?

But she immediately raised her hand and wielded her knife to launch a counterattack!

but……

"Stab!"

"Uh-huh!"

Where that hand was holding, the sound of the Goddess of Corruption's wings being purified by some force sounded like acid-base neutralization, and Marlenia couldn't help but let out a cry of pain.

(End of this chapter)