You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Iori's gaze fell on the small hand and a section of arm, her eyes narrowing slightly:

For a child of this age, this is far too thin.

"Mom? It's only been five years. From dating to marriage and having children, that's incredibly fast for an elf's lifestyle."

"You...you shouldn't talk nonsense!"

Beatrice panicked a little, took the child's hand to comfort her, and then hurriedly explained, "This is my niece... my sister's child. We've just been together for a while and she's been thinking of me as her mother."

"What about your sister and brother-in-law?"

"..."

"Okay, I was being nosy." Iori shook her head. After all, Beatrice had just said "the only one," and there must be a lot of sad things behind that. I shouldn't have asked.

Moreover, judging from the original work, the child who was wrapped up is most likely "Alpha"... He himself has never mentioned his past, so it is easy to imagine that there must be some unspeakable inside story.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that the world of "Shadow Reality" is filled with too many tragedies, especially the children "possessed by demons" and the countries controlled by the cult... If it weren't for the appearance of the overpowered "Shadow," this other world would be a standard dark fantasy.

Shadow is still acting as Earth's savior in the apocalypse, so the situation in Japan should be much better than in the original story, but things are worse in the other world... Iori also has to consider how to deal with this.

Changing the plot is a minor issue, but if his intervention causes those saved in the original story to lose hope, or even leads to more tragedies and makes the world more hopeless...

Wouldn't that put the blame on Iori?!

He would feel guilty if he did that—while he's not a saint, Iori generally seeks inner peace, striving for his own achievements without feeling ashamed before others.

"Let's have a good talk. Maybe I can help."

Iori stepped forward and gently placed her hand on the package, saying meaningfully, "This child desperately needs a 'miracle,' doesn't he?"

"You are indeed a man who is good at creating miracles... It's a long story."

-

To make a long story short, Beatrice missed her sister's wedding this time. She was aloof and didn't care much about such ceremonies, so she only stayed home for two days to send her sister her belated blessings before heading out again.

However, her sister's pregnancy was quite successful; she became pregnant and gave birth almost immediately after getting married... Of course, it's also possible that the couple had already tasted the forbidden fruit before getting married, judging from the timeline, this is almost certain... But it's their private matter, and no one can interfere.

During her years of wandering, Beatrice also consciously searched for traces of the "Order's" existence. She felt that an organization capable of planning to capture a dragon must be incredibly powerful and could not possibly consist of only those people at the time.

Such a mysterious and sinister organization is hidden in human society, yet there has never been any related rumors, and no one knows its secrets... Even someone like her, who doesn't care much about worldly affairs, feels inexplicably uneasy.

However, she was really not good at this kind of thing. Asking a swordsman to do detective work was really asking too much of her. Although she had a few encounters, she ended up getting nothing in the end.

The other side clearly possesses strength exceeding that of a nation, yet they rarely mobilize, and while powerful, they also go to great lengths to conceal themselves... It's truly perplexing.

A few years later, when she was almost ready to give up, she went home and found that her sister’s family had met with an accident. She heard that they had been attacked by monsters and their fate was unknown. Beatrice, of course, could not accept such a statement!

She immediately launched a search, inquiring about the whereabouts of her relatives through various means. She discovered that the "Diapologh Order" was involved. Shocked and furious, she tracked them down, traversing several countries and even chaotic areas plagued by constant war.

Beatrice didn't elaborate on how she finally found them, but when she finally rescued her family, only a four-year-old girl remained...

This was like stirring up a hornet's nest. The Diablo Order, having failed in their mission, sent even more men to hunt them down and silence them, while Beatrice fled with her sister's orphan.

With her strength, she has almost no rivals in the surface world. Only a few magic swordsmen with ancient heritage can be considered to be on the same level, so she shouldn't be in such a sorry state.

However, the number of experts in the cult far exceeds that in the real world, and with a child suffering from a "serious illness" also on their side, they naturally cannot escape the pursuit of the enemy.

What's even stranger is that Beatrice also has a certain status and position, so she should be able to find a royal family or other powerful forces to protect her... But she tried to ask for help along the way, but no force responded, as if they had amnesia and had never heard of her, this "Goddess of War".

More terrifying to Beatrice than the annoying pursuers was the feeling of being slowly squeezed by an invisible hand…

Just when she was about to reach a dead end, she thought of the lair of the Flame Dragon. She thought that she had at least met the Flame Dragon once and had a mutual friend. If she could get the protection of the high-ranking dragon, she could temporarily get rid of this unfavorable situation.

Meeting Iori in person was truly a delightful surprise!

"It's so sad that it's like this... I'm so glad you pulled through, otherwise my list of few friends would have been reduced by one more person."

Iori didn't offer much comfort to Beatrice, nor did she mourn her sister's passing. People like the elven swordsmen are often very strong-willed and don't like being pitied. When faced with such situations, they usually have only one thought in their minds:

revenge!

Tears of sadness and pain can wait until after the enemy's head has been cut off.

Do you know why Diablo targeted your sister's family?

“I don’t know!” Beatrice said with hatred. “It’s not surprising that a cult full of mentally ill people would do anything!”

"No, although they are a cult, they operate in a predictable manner. I haven't been idle during this time; I've done some research on the Diablo Cult, and I have some guesses about your sister's situation."

In the hunter's hut in the mountains, Iori and Beatrice faced each other. He reached out his hand to the elven swordswoman, indicating that he wanted to take the package.

Beatrice hesitated for a moment, having never let the little girl leave her side during this time... but in the end she chose to trust Iori.

“So light…”

Iori frowned slightly, gently supporting her with the crook of her arm, then lifted her arm to reveal a delicate but pale face. Her hair, which should have been as dazzling as gold, was now dry and dull, like a shriveled ear of corn.

The little girl at this age didn't really have any charm, and she couldn't be associated with the aloof and strong woman that Iori remembered. On the contrary, her light weight and the furrowed brows that she constantly endured in pain... gave Iori a warm feeling similar to fatherly love.

Perhaps because of the teachings of his adoptive grandmother, Iori has always felt affection for children who have no ability to protect themselves—of course, a well-behaved little cutie and a naturally evil brat are two different things.

He gently pressed down on the girl's chin and lifted it slightly:

There are bruises on my neck and collarbone, with an indistinct color, resembling fungus or birthmarks, about the size of a coin.

"As expected... it was demonic possession, and it happened faster than I thought."

Iori frowned slightly. In his memory, "Alpha" should have been a little older than this, around nine or ten years old, when he was lost to demonic possession and was rescued by the Shadow.

The little girl is only about four years old, right? And in the original story, Alpha lost all his relatives and didn't stay with his aunt... Is it the butterfly effect?

never mind!

Even if it's the butterfly effect, since Iori has encountered it, there's no need to worry. At least in this world, he has the ability to reverse all misfortunes!

Let's start with this girl who's going to become Alpha!

“I think I know why the Diablo Order has its eye on you; it’s because of this demonic possession.”

“…What?” Beatrice was completely stunned.

She was initially worried when Iori recognized the "demon possession," because in the common understanding of the other world, it was a malignant disease with no cure and unknown cause, and was the result of a demon's curse!

Those infected with the disease will eventually turn into a pile of rotten flesh, and must be disposed of promptly upon discovery to avoid attracting even worse curses.

In this world, everyone's attitude towards "demon possession" is like this: even if a close relative gets sick, you can't be lenient, otherwise it means being ostracized by the whole society. Countless infected children are abandoned because of this disease - because this disease is more common in childhood, especially adolescence, and adults are almost never infected, so most of the victims are children.

Beatrice was worried that Iori would reject the infected little girl, but to her surprise, he not only showed no abnormality, but his expression became even gentler.

"What do you mean?"

"Since you've investigated the 'Diavolo Order,' aren't you surprised they chose that name?"

"This……"

Beatrice paused slightly: "Isn't it natural for cults to use the names of demons?"

“Cults don’t consider themselves cults,” Iori said, laughing and crying at the same time. “On the contrary, they think they are doing something great.”

“If that’s what you’re saying…” Beatrice finally realized her mistake.

Diablos is a legendary demon god who is said to have wreaked havoc in ancient times, nearly causing the destruction of the world. However, he was eventually defeated by three heroes of human, elf, and orc origins, who worked together to maintain peace in the world.

This is an old story, similar to a fairy tale. Nobody takes it as fact anymore. Some people even use the names of the demon god and the three heroes as trademarks.

So at first Beatrice thought there was nothing wrong with the name of the cult... but after Iori said it, she felt something was off.

"Because this cult is acting with the goal of resurrecting the demon Diablos!"

"it turns out?!"

"The so-called 'demon possession' is not a curse at all, but rather the awakening of the bloodline of heroes in their descendants. Because the magic is too powerful and cannot be controlled, it turns into that miserable state."

It was precisely under the cult's influence that demonic possession was seen as a curse by the general public. Their aim was to persecute the descendants of the three heroes, thereby reducing obstacles to their conquest of the world!

Iori solemnly addressed Beatrice, who was already stunned, "You, Beatrice, are a descendant of heroes!"

And I, Aizen Iori, will lead you to reclaim justice for this world!

Chapter 246: The Great General has been taken into the harem! (4K)

Iori gave Beatrice some time to process the huge amount of information, while she held the little girl, brushed aside the messy golden hair on her face, and carefully examined her.

"Well……"

The pale-faced girl barely opened her eyes. Seeing a stranger holding her, she instinctively panicked, and Iori could feel the petite body in her arms stiffen for a moment. However, after their eyes met for a brief moment, the girl suddenly relaxed.

Children have very keen senses, and this young elf inexplicably felt that Iori meant no harm and, like Beatrice, was someone she could rely on.

This might be because Iori has a passive ability that increases his appeal to the opposite sex, or perhaps his gentle and handsome face makes him very easy to gain the trust of others.

"It's alright, don't be afraid, I'm the doctor here to treat you."

This body is almost just an empty shell... Enduring such pain without giving up must have been incredibly difficult.

Iori extended his thumb and gently ran the edge of it along the girl's cheek. A vibrant, emerald-green light continued to shimmer. The girl felt a cool sensation gradually seep into her skin, but incredibly, she didn't feel any discomfort. Instead, it significantly reduced her pain.

Several months ago, when these black spots first appeared on her body, there was nothing unusual. But after her family was attacked by the cult and she was separated from her parents, her symptoms began to deteriorate rapidly and uncontrollably. Every day, she could feel her body "melting" away and turning into something else.

The pain she experienced during the process was indescribable... Over time, she even became numb to the definition of "pain".

Although Beatrice rescued her, her symptoms did not lessen at all and continued to worsen day by day. Every day she suffered physical torment and inner unease—though she was young, she vaguely knew what awaited her.

Today marks the first time in a long time that the pain has lessened!

"Well!"

Her thin little hands gripped the young Grim Reaper's clothes tightly, her body trembling uncontrollably, but her breathing became a little easier.

Seeing this, Iori narrowed his eyes slightly and continued to gently massage with his thumb, especially his forehead and head, before sliding his hand down his spine to his waist. Although skin-to-skin contact was unavoidable during the process, he was completely focused, without a single extraneous thought.

The elven girl's expression gradually calmed down, and a peaceful smile appeared on her pale face for the first time, though she was still bloodless and looked very weak.

Beatrice quickly came over, wanting to hug her but worried about interrupting Iori's treatment, so she didn't dare to say much, just glancing at Iori and then at the girl from the side.

When the doctor stopped moving, she quickly asked, "How is it? Is healed?"

“It’s not that easy,” Iori glanced at her indifferently, “Besides, I’m not undergoing treatment.”

"what?"

Beatrice blinked: "But she—"

"I simply used the Returning to the Source... magic to deceive her nervous system and temporarily block out the illusion."

This is an advanced technique used in the back tunnels, somewhat analogous to anesthesia in modern medicine. It can be very useful in treating certain external injuries, since you can't expect every soldier to be a tough guy who doesn't need anesthesia.

However, this method of action is different from that of anesthetics. In Soul Society, what truly replaces anesthetics is a drug called "Piercing Point," which can put Shinigami into a state of weakness or even unconsciousness.

If it weren't for the fact that this stuff is volatile and requires close contact, it could almost be used as a fighting tactic.

Of course, someone as strong as a captain wouldn't be affected by the potion.

The type of return path used by Iori, although only professionals can master it, has the advantage that as long as the other party cooperates, it can block the pain sensation, even for captains.

"Nervous...system...huh?"

"Considering what's going to happen next, it would be very troublesome not to do so."

As he spoke, a white glint appeared from the man's fingertips, and the skin that touched the girl was instantly torn, leaving a bright red wound on her chest. Blood trickled up his fingers like dewdrops.

Beatrice tensed up instantly, but she forced herself not to speak, only clenching her fists tightly.

Iori said nonchalantly, "Trying to stop me?"

"...No, I believe you."

Beatrice said unwillingly, "More importantly... I can't do it!"

She refused to have the child!

Demon possession is an incurable disease in this world. To date, no one has been known to be cured of it, and even if there were a way, it would be beyond the capabilities of a mere swordsman like her.

When she discovered the strangeness in the girl, she was already in despair, because she realized that her swordsmanship and magic, which she had honed for nearly a hundred years, were so powerless in this matter... She couldn't even protect her last remaining family members, so what good was having the title of "God of War"?

If this continues, the little girl will die sooner or later!

Beatrice herself had no choice, but if Iori was willing to help, she wouldn't stop her no matter what method she used!

"That's good... I am confident, but I have never dealt with such a young child before... Fortunately, the magic in this world is indeed very convenient; it can be used to destroy or to repair."

I will continue to try to guide this abnormally active magic back to its normal pathways, but I don't know how much of a burden this will place on my body, and even the healing process will be extremely painful—now you know why we need to block out pain, right?

Iori continued working, releasing her mental energy to carefully sense the condition within the elven girl's body, a hint of realization appearing in her eyes: