The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"Huh?...Okay, okay!"

The inexperienced Pais didn't know what she had discovered. But Tatsia's tone was full of anxiety, and it seemed there was no time to explain. Pais didn't dare to ask any more questions and obediently followed her instructions, crouching behind Tatsia and tightly gripping her hem.

Mayera, however, remained watching it from under her umbrella, showing no intention of resisting. By the time Tatia tried to give her any further instructions, it was too late.

The centipede opened its massive jaws. Countless thick, dark purple liquids rained down on them. This was a venom attack, a massive, all-encompassing spray of its own deadly poison. Taqia swiftly swung her sword, deflecting all the incoming venom projectiles. The highly corrosive venom, upon hitting the grass, instantly emitted thick white smoke, turning the lush green grass into a scorched black.

Unlike Tatia, who went to block, Mayera danced with light and graceful steps, weaving through the gaps in the venom projectiles. This dance, which didn't look like dodging at all, allowed her to perfectly evade all attacks without being splashed by a single drop of venom. When Tatia rushed to check on Mayera after the centipede had finished spitting out its venom, Mayera had already finished her dance and was standing there steadily, as if she hadn't moved at all. Tatia's eyes widened in astonishment at Mayera's apparent lack of evasion or blocking. She knew Mayera was skilled, but she hadn't expected such a performance.

"Takia, can I come out now?"

"Okay, that's fine..."

"Wow...what is this?!"

Hiding behind Tatsia with her eyes closed and not daring to move, Pais only heard the whooshing sound of Tatsia's sword as she swung it, and a sizzling sound like boiling oil. She didn't know what kind of attack the centipede had used. When the attack ended and she peeked out from behind Tatsia, she found that the grass around her had turned into scorched earth in just a few seconds. A wave of heat and a burnt smell wafted from it.

"Don't breathe, hold your breath! This guy just released poison. Although I blocked it all, there's no guarantee that the toxin won't spread through the air. Be careful!"

While covering her mouth and nose, Taqia gave instructions to Pais, who was still confused about the situation. Upon hearing that the centipede had released poison, Pais also hurriedly covered the lower half of his face with his hands.

Of course, Mayella continued breathing calmly as if nothing had happened.

Even this attack failed, and realizing that these three were not ordinary adventurers or villagers, the centipede began to retreat slightly, its roars weakening. Seeing that its opponents had become hesitant, the three who had been dodging and parrying decided to press their advantage.

The first to step forward was Mayera. Without a care, she stepped onto the scorched grass and launched into a conversation with Pais behind her.

"Sister Pais"

"Um?"

"When you first met me, weren't you doubting my abilities?"

"...Well, let's just say that."

Mayella had her back to the two of them, a faint smile playing on her lips that they didn't notice.

"Then, Sister Pais, you'd better keep your eyes wide open and watch carefully..."

As she spoke, Mayera moved forward. The moment she finished speaking, she vanished from the sight of her two teammates and the centipede.

"Varied..."

"There it is!"

Compared to Pais, who was once again shocked by her strange actions, Tatia, who was already prepared, noticed Mayra's disappearance much earlier. She pointed to the centipede's abdomen. About ten meters above the ground, Mayra's figure, as delicate as a flower petal in the evening breeze, floated there.

With her left hand holding a parasol, she extended her right hand, where black lightning gathered in her palm.

"Goodbye, Mr. Centipede... Superior Dark Attribute Magic: Netherworld Spear"

As the spell's name was uttered, a massive dark thorn instantly flew from Mayra's palm. The dark spear, thicker than the centipede's body, pierced it in two. The centipede's upper body arched backward, while its lower body fell forward. A strange liquid, unlike human blood, gushed out. Mayra raised her umbrella to shield herself from the liquid and let out a small declaration of victory.

"I won!"

Tatia and Pais confirmed that Mayera, who had cleaved the centipede in two with a single blow, had killed it. They ran forward together to catch Mayera as she fell and congratulated her.

Their naiveté stemmed from the fact that none of the three noticed what was atop the centipede's head. But they soon discovered it.

"Wh...what?"

The first to notice something amiss was Takiya, who had a similar experience before. She stopped in her tracks. The lower half of the centipede, which should have been dead and unable to move, suddenly rose from the ground and returned to Mayera's side.

"...Huh?"

While still in mid-air, Mayera witnessed this scene and couldn't help but let out a sound of surprise. This centipede, just like Mayera after being beheaded by Tatia's attack, stood once again before the naive girl who mistakenly believed her opponent was dead and that she had won.

The centipede raised its tail and lashed out at Mayella with force. But Mayella, already airborne, had lost all ability to evade.

"Snapped!"

The heavy blow, capable of easily shattering even giant rocks, struck Mayela's frail body without mercy. She flew far away like a bird struck by an arrow, crashing heavily to the ground. A cloud of dust rose from where she fell.

"Mayera!"

Calling out Mayella's name, Tatia was about to rush over when she had to stop. The centipede, its lower body still spitting blood, was wriggling towards Tatia and Pais, who were frozen in place. Meanwhile, its upper body, which had been knocked off, was also closing in on the ground. The grinding sound of its teeth grew closer and closer. Tatia no longer had the strength to check on Mayella; she could only shield Pais behind her, fending off the centipede's next attack.

Its upper and lower body were separated, yet it was not dead. It launched an attack from both sides simultaneously. This horrific scene terrified the novice adventurer, Pais; her voice trembled with fear.

"W-what happened? It shouldn't be dead, right? Why...why is it still attacking?!"

Before becoming an adventurer, she had never imagined encountering such a terrifying crisis. She wanted to simply abandon the mission and run away. But her legs, which had long since lost their will to move, felt as if they were made of lead and she couldn't take another step.

"..."

The sight was terrifying enough to drive Pais insane. But because the centipede's head was close to the ground, Tatia could clearly see what was on its forehead. Pais and Mayera didn't know, but the emblem-like magic circle was all too familiar to Tatia. Her mother, who had transformed into a green wolf, had the same thing. Only by directly destroying this magic circle could this modified monster be completely killed.

In addition, the same emblem is currently in Tatia's possession.

"Naka ​​once told me that with my current mental maturity, I wasn't yet able to perfectly control 'Elf Paradise'... Through later events, I realized that what Naka said was entirely true. So I originally intended to complete the mission without releasing it, using only the sealed weapon, and try to use it after I had grown into a sufficiently mature adventurer, but..."

Taqia suddenly reached into her bosom and pulled out her trump card: a necklace with the exact same pattern as the magic circle on the centipede's head.

"However, since the monster related to that incident has reappeared, I have no choice but to go all out...!"

She gripped the necklace tightly, raised her weapon, and resolved to annihilate all those modified beings. In the instant all three conditions were met, a miracle once again occurred in Tatia's hands.

The First Mission Hidden with Conspiracy (Part 2)

Shining with a pale green brilliance, it scattered light spots like fluttering butterflies. The mysterious greatsword, "Elf Paradise," which had shocked the entire school during the graduation exam and could only be used by Tatsia, appeared for the second time in the eyes of the ordinary saintly girl, Pais.

"This...this is it..."

About a week ago, Pais still vividly remembered how Tatia had easily defeated Oz, the favorite to win the championship, whom the entire school and even the whole of Sunflower Town considered the best. A warm light surged around Tatia, enveloping Pais as well. Feeling the warmth, no less than that of the sun, coming from all directions, gave Pais a sense of security that allowed her to escape from her fear. Her body, which had been stiff and unable to move, finally recovered.

No matter how incomprehensible the scene before us may be, the only way to complete the mission and survive is to stand tall and bravely continue fighting this lucky centipede.

Pais placed his hand on Tatsia's back and cast the physical enhancement spell on her again. Feeling her strength significantly increased, Tatsia understood, even without turning around, that Pais, who had been frightened moments before, had finally stood up again. She confidently gave him a thumbs-up, letting him know she was ready.

Although Meera had once defeated her current form, and that Meera was now being repelled by it, Tatia understood perfectly well that Meera wasn't defeated due to a lack of strength. Unaware of the monster's modification, she was simply startled by the centipede's sudden reactivation, which she thought was dead, and thus failed to react in time.

The one who transformed the monster into this zombie-like being was none other than Tatia's mother: the elven saintess Vilia. As her daughter, and as someone involved, Tatia ultimately decided that she should resolve this matter herself.

She raised her greatsword. Her right leg, already gathering enough power, slammed into the ground. With a resounding "crack!" of sand and gravel shattering, Tatsia vanished from Pais's sight.

That was a speed too high for the naked eye to perceive. The grass beneath Tatiana's feet left only a crater several tens of centimeters deep. She launched her attack on the centipede with such immense force. And her target, needless to say, was the centipede's head marked with a magic circle.

"We succeeded!"

Ignoring its lower body, Tatia leaped forward, swiftly plunging down to thrust her sword towards the centipede's head. Destroying the magic circle there was the only way to stop this monster's actions. Otherwise, the battle would devolve into an endless war of attrition. Against a monster that doesn't expend stamina or die, even with "Elf Paradise" in hand, Tatia lacked the ability to fight such a protracted war. A swift victory was the safest course of action. Once the magic circle was pierced, it would all be over.

...However, Takia was not the only one who understood this principle.

Just as the tip of the greatsword was only a meter away from the magic circle, a whistling wind carrying sharp air pressure suddenly attacked Tatsia from the right. Tatsia instinctively retracted the greatsword, placing it to her right side in a defensive stance. Less than a second later, a tremendous force struck Tatsia's sword.

The force was far greater than Tatsia had imagined. She felt like a pebble kicked by an adult. Her body flew out uncontrollably. Thanks to her timely defense, she managed to absorb the force upon landing, barely avoiding being knocked unconscious.

"it hurts..."

Even after regaining his footing, his right hand, which had borne the brunt of the impact, and his entire right arm were in so much pain that he couldn't lift them.

Looking up again, Tatia realized the truth behind the powerful impact that had stopped her attack. Next to the centipede's head, which was crawling on the ground, was its lower body, still writhing at high speed.

The head's eyes were fixed on Tatsia's every move, controlling its body as if the head were still attached. Even if Tatsia tried to bypass the body and attack the head directly, it could still intercept her. Because the head was now separated from the body, aiming at the head was actually much more difficult than shooting normally.

In the brief moment when Tatia paused her attack, her tail curled up, raising her head high. Her head, previously confined to the ground, once again held the superior position, looking down at the two figures on the ground. Her dark pupils glowed with a red light, as if targeting prey.

Judging from the situation, her opponent didn't seem to intend to wait for her arm to fully recover. To prepare for the upcoming battle, Tatia switched the sword to her left hand, remaining highly vigilant.

"What will happen next...?"

Without its head, it could no longer bite. If it used venom, the force of its mouth would prevent it from reaching Tatsia. These two methods of attack were no longer a threat. But this centipede was far from giving up. Tatsia had no way of predicting what attack it would use in this state. She could only observe the situation for the time being.

"Tasia!"

"Don't come any closer! Stay away from here!"

Seeing Tatia's attack fail and she be repelled, Pais rushed over to heal her wounds. Tatia shouted at her to stop. Without knowing how her opponent would attack, it would be extremely dangerous for the defenseless Pais to recklessly enter the centipede's attack range. Tatia, with her right arm injured, had no confidence that she could protect her under these circumstances.

The centipede made its move the instant Takia looked away.

"call out!"

Just as Tatia had expected, it didn't use impact or venom. It was an attack that Tatia had never imagined, and that was completely out of character for a centipede.

Two thin beams of red light shot from the centipede's eyes, narrowly missing Tatsia, who instinctively pulled back a step at the last second upon sensing the anomaly, leaving two round holes emitting white smoke in the ground.

"Ouch...! Was that a magic attack!?"

Although she managed to dodge it, she still inevitably took a hit to the shoulder. The cloth on her shoulder was instantly charred, and Tatsia's right shoulder, which had not yet recovered, began to bleed profusely.

The opponent had been attacking with movements resembling those of a centipede, and Tatsia had no idea it would also use ranged magic. Only then did Tatsia realize that the red light she had seen in its eyes earlier was not murderous intent.

The unexpected attack caught Tatsia off guard. She winced in pain, her right hand completely paralyzed. Pais, stunned by the magical attack, was unable to come and treat her.

Using the "Elf Paradise" skill was the only way she could think of to defeat it. However, the sword was too heavy, leaving her with no strength to touch the gems on it, even when she could only hold it with one hand. The situation was dire and far from optimistic. Cold sweat trickled down Tatia's forehead.

Since the opponent was attacking from a distance, even if they maintained distance, the centipede could still attack her while she couldn't attack the centipede. Therefore, Taqia realized she couldn't just sit and wait to die any longer. Enduring the pain, she swung her left hand, raised her sword, and charged towards the centipede.

Having initially maintained a defensive stance, Tatia launched an attack, and the centipede responded mercilessly. The red light in its eyes flashed again. Two more magical attacks were launched at Tatia. This time, however, prepared, Tatia nimbly dodged all the attacks and closed in on the centipede. She leaped forward once more, aiming for its head.

This time, she was certain the centipede was no longer able to attack from either side. The next spell would take longer to arrive than the sword strike, and even if it retaliated with magic, it would be too late. This time, victory was assured.

However...

"Swish"

She had forgotten that the centipede's head was no longer attached to its body, but was instead coiled within its tail. Before her sword could strike, the tail, carrying the head, moved away, causing Tatsia's attack to miss. With a whooshing sound, Tatsia landed back on the ground, barely managing to regain her balance.

"Damn it... I didn't expect it to be so agile..."

As the centipede's tail twitched, its head rose and fell unpredictably. Taqia regrouped and launched another attack.

But the next few attacks all ended in failure for Tatia. The tail, capable of moving in all directions, made the already small head even harder to aim at. No matter how fast Tatia increased her speed, the centipede could always move its head away from her attack trajectory before she could strike. After several rounds, Tatia began to pant heavily.

"Hahaha..."

Even if she could predict the direction of its dodge, Tatsia, suspended in mid-air, had no energy left to change her attack trajectory. The repeated jumping and attacking movements while carrying such a heavy object further depleted her stamina. During this time, the centipede ceased its attacks. It seemed it had anticipated this outcome, deliberately waiting for Tatsia to run out of energy.

Though unwilling, Tatia was now at her wit's end. Continuing the fight would only result in total annihilation. She shouted loudly to Pais, who was waiting in the rear.

"Pays! The situation is bad! Let's retreat!"

"Uh-huh!"

Following Tatia's instructions, Pais covered her mouth and nose, observing from a distance. She could clearly see that Tatia, wielding the strange greatsword, was also struggling against it, and she couldn't offer any help. Such an unfavorable situation meant she had to temporarily abandon the fight, wait until she recovered and was well-prepared, and then try a different method. She nodded, slowly moving backward, ready to flee at any moment.

However, one person disagreed.

"Are you already giving up? How pathetic, Sister Tatia."

A female voice appeared beside Taqia. The next instant, a pitch-black magic circle appeared beneath the centipede, and countless enormous tentacles rapidly extended from the circle, tightly binding the centipede's body and tail.

Tatia was very familiar with both the voice and the magic. She turned to her left and exclaimed...

"Mayera! Are you alright?"

There stood Mayera, who had been sent flying by the centipede. Though her face was covered in blood, she maintained a calm expression, casting magic with her right hand. Upon seeing Tatia, she smiled at her.

"Oh dear, has Sister Tatya forgotten? I am immortal. How could such an attack possibly kill me?"

"Yes, that's right..."

"But I'm really heartbroken. When you were trying to retreat just now, were you thinking of abandoning me here? We had agreed to be comrades, but you're such a cold-blooded person."

"No, I just feel like you can find a way to escape on your own."

"escape?"

Upon hearing that word, Mayella's smile turned into a sneer.

"While the fact that you possess abilities similar to mine certainly startled me, did you really think I would be reduced to fleeing in defeat when dealing with someone of this caliber? I've truly been underestimated... If I wanted to, I could obliterate this kind of trash with a single move..."

Seemingly to prove her point, Mayera began gathering a large amount of magic power in her other hand, forming a ball of magic crackling with purplish-black lightning. It possessed a power far greater than the magic used to cleave the centipede in two; she hadn't displayed such immense strength even in her battle against Tatia. Just watching from the sidelines, Tatia couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine. If Mayera were to unleash this attack, even without knowing about the magic circle, Tatia believed she could utterly kill the centipede. This single strike would be enough to indiscriminately annihilate the centipede's entire body simultaneously.

"...Never mind though."

But Mayera abruptly changed the subject, withdrawing the magic from her left hand. She smiled at Tatia again.

"Sister Tatiya seems to know why this thing wasn't killed, and also how to kill it. Let's give this credit to Sister Tatiya. Go ahead. I've got it firmly in my grasp. Sister Tatiya, please cut wherever you want."

"....Um"

Since Mayera had willingly given her the final blow, Tatia nodded in agreement. With a surge of power in her left hand, she raised the greatsword once more. One step, two steps, she made her final dash towards the centipede.

Mayera's tentacles, possessing strength far exceeding that of a centipede, tightly bound it. Even with its desperate struggles, it couldn't move an inch. Its greatest weakness: its head was also bound by the tentacles. Before its eyes, Tatia charged towards it and leaped high into the air once more.

"call out!"