Chapter 62: Dialogue with the Eldritch Godness

Felix sprinted toward the Imperial Capital Central Hospital—or at least, what had once been it. Behind him, Elizabeth and Matthias had begun their battle against Claudia, the sounds of violent explosions echoing in the distance. But Felix did not look back.

He stepped inside the hospital, now engulfed in a mass of flesh.

"Miss Iris! Are you there?!"

He called out her name—Iris.

But there was no answer. Felix pressed forward through the flesh-covered halls.

Strangely, as he advanced, the tendrils of flesh receded, forming a path ahead of him. Whether this meant Iris welcomed him or was luring him deeper, Felix had no way of knowing.

"Miss Iris! Where are you?!"

He moved through the corridors, climbed the stairs, searching desperately. She might no longer resemble the girl he knew, but he refused to give up.

Then—he heard it. A human voice, unmistakable, coming from within the flesh-ridden hospital.

"Miss Iris! Is that you?!"

Felix followed the sound.

"Miss Iris…!"

And there she was. Iris, unchanged in her elegant dress, sat at a round table of pulsating flesh as if hosting a tea party. Across from her were two figures—Karl and Anneliese. Her parents.

"Ah. Lord Felix, what brings you here?"

Iris addressed him as though nothing were amiss.

"Miss Iris. The capital is in chaos. People are calling you a hostile deity."

"Is that so? That’s probably just their fear talking. But it’s alright. Soon, that fear will disappear."

"What do you—"

"I’ve finally found a way to spare everyone from suffering."

She smiled brightly, as if delivering joyous news.

"People have nightmares, they kill themselves, they hurt and die—all because they’re weak. So, I’ll remake them. I’ll make sure none of that happens anymore."

Her tone was as gentle as ever, but the words themselves were horrifying.

"If I reshape them so they can’t be hurt, so they can’t die, then after the Golden Festival, I can stay at the academy! Just like before!"

She beamed, her parents smiling silently beside her.

"Miss Iris… Did you do the same to them?"

"Yes. Now, even if witches attack, Mother and Father won’t die. Cults, witches—none of them will be a threat anymore."

"I see…"

Felix listened quietly, then spoke again.

"Miss Iris. If you do this, the people you love won’t be human anymore. They’ll become something else. Are you truly satisfied with that?"

"Something else…?"

"Yes. Humanity has grown by facing fear and pain. If you distort that foundation, their very souls will warp. Change the vessel, and the mind inside changes with it."

Strip away suffering, and what remained would no longer be human. Their spirits would twist into something unrecognizable.

"My feelings for you weren’t just happiness. Sometimes, thinking of you made my chest ache. There were days I longed to see you, days I agonized. Would you erase even those emotions?"

"That’s…"

"Pain gives meaning to joy. A life of nothing but happiness is flat, empty. Don’t you agree?"

Iris lowered her gaze, silent.

"Remember what you truly loved. It wasn’t this monstrosity. Miss Iris, you lived as a human—and you loved humanity itself."

Her head hung lower.

"Did I… make another mistake? Caused another disaster…? I hate myself…"

Iris murmured softly,

"This... is the result of caring for others. It wasn’t because I turned against humanity, like the Rosenkreuz Society claims. That alone is enough." She paused, then smiled faintly. "Now, let’s leave this place, Miss Iris. The Golden Festival is being held at the academy. Will you dance with me?"

"I can’t." Her voice was quiet but firm. "I don’t belong there anymore. As long as I exist, witches, cults, and madness will follow. I have to go."

"But surely you can at least attend the festival—!"

"No. I’ve been selfish enough already. But…"

Iris reached into the folds of her dress and produced a small, wrapped box.

"A gift for the Golden Festival. I kept it with me... because I wanted to give it to you."

"Miss Iris…"

"I’ll return to the otherworld where I belong. My time at the academy… it was wonderful."

She held out the present. Felix took it, unwrapped the packaging, and inside found a survival knife engraved with the letters "I & F."

"It has our names. Even if I’m gone, you’ll have this to remember me by. If you’d like, that is."

"Of course. But wait—must you leave so soon? Just a little longer…"

"I suppose there’s one last thing." Her expression darkened slightly. "The witches still need to be dealt with. Especially Claudia… for hurting the people I care about."

With that, Iris raised her right hand.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Matthias were still locked in combat against the high-ranking witch, Claudia.

"Bess! More summoned creatures—from your flank!"

"I know!"

The Rosenkreuz Society’s forces had been nearly wiped out in the battle against the witches, with countless agents lost in the struggle. Yet Claudia, a high-ranking witch, remained standing.

"What’s wrong, Rosenkreuz hounds? Running out of steam?"

Claudia smirked, taunting them as she launched another barrage of attacks. Her magic was unlike any conventional sorcery in this world—each spell more grotesque than the last. Waves of summoned beasts lunged at the two, wearing them down.

"Let’s end this."

Claudia traced a pentagram in the air with her conductor’s baton, and from it, a spear of flesh and bone hurtled toward Elizabeth. A direct hit would mean certain death.

"BESS!"

But in that instant, Matthias lunged forward, shoving Elizabeth aside—only for the spear of flesh and bone to pierce through his left arm instead, tearing it clean off with a sickening crunch.

"Goddammit—! Shit, SHIT!"

"Matthias! YOU BITCH—!"

As Matthias howled in agony, Elizabeth whipped around to retaliate—

—when suddenly, the writhing masses of flesh around them lashed out. The tendrils seized Claudia’s summoned creatures first, crushing them like overripe fruit before swallowing them whole.

"What the…? Iris? Or is it Lilith—?"

The tentacles twisted, then struck again—this time coiling around Claudia herself. They gripped her limbs, wrenching them backward with grotesque force.

"Hahaha! So even our god deems us unworthy of intellect! Then let this body be the answer! Hihi…! Soon, the higher dimensions will—"

A wet rip. The tendrils shredded Claudia apart like paper. Her mangled remains splattered to the ground, then dissolved into vapor. The high-ranking witch Claudia was no more.

"The flesh… It’s receding, Matthias. Iris-Lilith is vanishing."

"Yeah. Guess that brat actually pulled it off…" His voice was weak, his breath ragged.

"Right. Matthias—stay with me. I’ll get you to the rear— Matthias? MATTHIAS!?"

Elizabeth’s panicked shouts echoed as the sea of flesh that had engulfed the capital began to retreat, swirling back toward the central hospital before disappearing entirely.

……………………