The Late Game Healer Is Way Too Strong – Chapter 72

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟕𝟐: 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝟏

The capabilities of a shaman depended on the god they made a contract with.

The more powerful the Shaman, the stronger the god they contracted with.

For example, Kumo had a decent ability due to contracting with a god of the A-Rank, like [Kamaitachi], and also with some lower-ranked gods.

However, [Kagutsuchi], contracted by Hayakawa, was born from Izanagi and Izanami, the greatest gods of creation in Japan, and was an upper-level spirit with a power of S-Rank or higher.

It was [Kagutsuchi]’s flames that caused Izanami to be burned and die at the time of his birth because they were too hot.

Therefore, not just anyone could be a vessel for such a god.

The Hayakawa family was one of the greatest shaman families of the day, and each family had gods that represented them.

[Kagutsuchi] was one of the representative gods of the Hayakawa family and was considered one of the most powerful.

Having one more high-ranking god was the way to maintain the family’s power.

━Can you do it, Hikari? [Kagutsuchi] hasn’t made a contract with anyone in our family for over 100 years.

━I’ll try! If I fail, I can just make a contract with another god.

The head of the family, Hayakawa Seigen, secretly hoped that this contract would not happen.

[Kagutsuchi] was a really powerful spirit, but there were records in the family that it was difficult to handle.

However, for some strange reason, [Kagutsuchi] accepted Hikari and resided in her body.

It was a great celebration for the family, but the problem was that her vessel was insufficient to hold the high-ranking god.

The vessel slowly cracked and broke.

The contents were about to overflow, putting the vessel in danger.

It wouldn’t be strange if it shattered into a million pieces at any moment.

Grooooowl!

As Siwoo poured in powerful magic, the resonating god revealed its form outside of the body.

This was possible because there was a medium called a vessel.

A giant fire serpent that was easily over 20m long twisted in the air, flicking its tongue.

『Ⱳհɑե ํs եհํs? Ɑ ʍҽɾҽ հմʍɑղ ժɑɾҽs եօ աɑƙҽ եհํs օƖժ ʍɑղ ƒɾօʍ հํs sƖմʍҍҽɾ?】

A haughty and resonant voice rang out from the serpent’s mouth.

【𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.】

Hayakawa, who was seeing the contracted god for the first time, prostrated herself on the spot and introduced herself.

“My lord, it is an honor to meet you for the first time. I am Hayakawa Hikari, the 12th successor to the house of Hayakawa━.”

“When you’re living in someone else’s house, you need to live quietly, even if you’re old or sick.”

Hayakawa froze and looked back and forth between Kagutsuchi and Siwoo.

he thought it was a metaphor for being compared to a leech.

‘[𝙆𝙖𝙜𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝𝙞] 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙩, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. . . 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎-𝙍𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙈𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙞-𝙟𝙤𝙤𝙣, 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚.’

However, there was no anxiety or trembling in Siwoo’s expression.

All that was there was his unique sense of laziness and arrogance.

『Տհհհ. Ƒօɾ եհҽ ƒํɾsե օƒƒҽɾํղց ํղ ɑ Ɩօղց եํʍҽ, ყօմ հɑѵҽ ɑ ƒօմƖ ʍօմեհ. Ƭհɑե’s ահყ ყօմղց ցํɾƖs ʍɑƙҽ ցօօժ օƒƒҽɾํղցs.』

【𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞. 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞.】

These crazy guys.

Siwoo ignored the voices and helped Hayakawa up.

“Now, just a moment. Our family’s god, who has been passed down through generations. . .”

“Look, it’s a god by name, but it’s just a monster in form, isn’t it?”

She tried to argue, but no answer readily came to mind.

This was because she had never looked at a god from that perspective.

“But gods can talk.”

“There are many talking monsters.”

“Isn’t Lord Kagutsuchi a very famous spirit in Japan?”

“There are cases where such beings manifest as monsters.”

“But. . . passed down from our ancestors. . .”

“That’s right. It’s a god that Shamans have ‘used’ since ancient times.”

“. . . . . . . . .”

“Do you understand? Not a god that you serve.”

Siwoo’s resolute tone.

Hayakawa blinked her eyes and forgot her response.

No one had ever spoken to her about gods like that.

How dare a ‘vessel’ use the ‘contents’?

Such blasphemy. . .

『Ӏsղ’ե եհɑե եհҽ աօʍɑղ Ӏ ʍɑժҽ ɑ ϲօղեɾɑϲե աํեհ? Ɠҽե ɾํժ օƒ եհɑե ժɑʍղ ցմყ ɑղժ ҍɾํղց ʍҽ sօʍҽ ɑƖϲօհօƖ.』

I’mㅡ That is, that’sㅡ.

Between Siwoo’s tightly gripping hand and the fire serpent flicking its tongue in the air,

Hayakawa didn’t know what to do.

Her heart was torn between her role as a vessel and her identity as Hikari.

Her knees, neither bent nor straight, shook like her emotions.

“I-I. . .”

“Say it.”

Hayakawa turned her head in the direction of the clear voice.

Siwoo’s unwavering gaze looked at her warmly.

“Stand up straight.”

“. . . . . . . . .”

“I’ll be the one to beat him.”

“. . . . . . . . .”

“stand up straight, as ‘Hikari’.”

Hayakawa held back her emotions, which were about to burst forth.

A threadlike “yes” escaped her lips like a tear.

『Տհհհ. Ɓҽɑեํղց հํʍ մթ, հմհ? Ƴօմ’ɾҽ ʍɑƙํղց ʍҽ Ɩɑմցհ, եɑƖƙํղց ɑҍօմե ҍҽɑեํղց ʍҽ մթ. Ӏs եհҽ օƒƒҽɾํղց ɑղժ եհҽ ѵҽssҽƖ եɑƖƙํղց ղօղsҽղsҽ?』

It was like the tone of a master who was about to punish his dog for biting his foot.

Siwoo, facing that dry and cold gaze, opened his mouth without any sign of shrinking back.

“Without that ‘vessel’, you wouldn’t even be able to manifest. You talk too much for someone so dirty.”

『Տհհհ. Ⱳհɑե ժํժ ყօմ ᴊմsե sɑყ, հմʍɑղ?』

“I guess you’re too old to hear? Or maybe you’re a snake and can’t understand human language.”

The large fire serpent unfurled itself and slowly circled in the air.

Red flames flowed along the serpent’s body, brightly illuminating the dark night sky.

It was a mythological and fantastic sight, as if a serpent were ascending to heaven.

For a moment, people’s gazes were distracted by the spectacle.

『Տհմɾմɾɾɾ!』

Kagutsuchi descended with incredible speed.

It was like a Lightning Flash.

Its ferocious-looking mouth was wide enough to swallow a person whole, and its protruding teeth were as sharp as blades.

“Oh, no!!”

Hayakawa screamed without realizing it.

The fire serpent’s fangs were aimed at the nape of Siwoo’s neck.

The human’s fragile neck was about to become the spirit’s meal.

At that moment, hundreds of characters and shapes flashed erratically beneath Siwoo’s feet.

[Song of Iron: Thorns]

Poof!

Dozens of iron skewers shot up from the ground.

They were long and sharp like spears and pierced the fire serpent’s mouth without mercy, and

『Ƙɾҽմɾɾɾ!』

Siwoo mercilessly cut off the serpent’s stem with his dagger.

“No way. . . to kill a god. . .”

Hayakawa, who witnessed the sight, covered her mouth with one hand and swallowed a scream.

It was an unbelievable scene.

Anyone in the family would have been shocked.

Wasn’t a shaman someone who served a god?

“You don’t think it’s dead just from this, do you?”

However, Siwoo spoke to Hayakawa without letting go of his tension.

Kagutsuchi’s current form was manifested because he had a vessel.

Therefore, he was half physical, but half spirit.

Indeed, in the sky that Siwoo looked up at, a fire serpent with even larger flames was looking down at him.

『Տհհհ. Ӏե’s ҍҽҽղ ɑ ահํƖҽ sํղϲҽ Ӏ’ѵҽ ҍҽҽղ sօ ํղᴊմɾҽժ. Ӏƒ ყօմ ƙղҽҽƖ ժօաղ ɑղժ ҍҽց ƒօɾ ʍҽɾϲყ ɾํցհե ղօա, Ӏ’ƖƖ ҽɑե ყօմ աํեհօմե թɑํղ, աօɾʍ.』

“Everyone usually says that before they get beaten up.”

『Տհհհ. Ӏ sҽҽ. Ӏ’ƖƖ ϲօօƙ ყօմ sƖօաƖყ. Ⱳհɑե ɑɾҽ ყօմ ժօํղց, ѵҽssҽƖ? Ɗํժղ’ե եհҽ օƖժ ʍɑղ օɾժҽɾ ყօմ եօ ҍɾํղց հํʍ ɑƖϲօհօƖ?』

“Before you say anything like that, why don’t you check your stomach?”

[Kagutsuchi] lifted its head.

However, all it could see was pitch-black darkness and the faint moonlight.

『Տհհհ. . . Ⱳհɑե եհҽ. . .』

The fire serpent, who had been trying to laugh at Siwoo, couldn’t help but gasp this time.

This was because there was a huge sphere emitting a piercing chill right before its eyes.

[Ice Bomb]

Crack!

The highly condensed ice exploded, and dozens of sharp fragments tore and pierced the enemy’s body.

『Տհհհ! Ƭհํs ํs ɑղղօყํղց! Ɗํժ ყօմ եհํղƙ եհํs օƖժ ʍɑղ աօմƖժ ժํҽ ƒɾօʍ sօʍҽեհํղց Ɩํƙҽ եհํs?】

Kagutsuchi, the god of fire, was annoyed and angry as the chill he hated pierced his body.

The flames that had wrapped around his body flared up even more brightly in response to his boiling anger.

『Ӏե sҽҽʍs եհɑե ყօմ ժօղ’ե ƙղօա հօա եօ ҍɾํղց ɑƖϲօհօƖ. Ӏղ եհɑե ϲɑsҽ, Ӏ’ƖƖ հɑѵҽ եօ ϲհҽա օղ ɑ աօɾʍ ํղsեҽɑժ օƒ ɑƖϲօհօƖ!!』

Along with a voice full of irritation,

Kwahhhhhhh!

A powerful aura rose like a fire demon in all directions.

The internal barrier shook dangerously at the overwhelming scale of the divine power that was hard to put into words.

“Damn it, he’s going wild!”

Min Si-joon poured more magic into his staff.

If the pent-up energy broke the barrier, the entire area could be scorched to the ground.

“Now, let’s get started.”

Red Ear, who had been sitting cross-legged, lined up the magic items Siwoo had prepared and

Ah-sul began to search for what Siwoo had ordered him to find using his unique magic detection.

『Տհհհ!』

Siwoo caught his breath.

The fire serpent’s every move and the momentum of its aura were completely different from before.

Just facing it was enough to make his skin tingle.

Hayakawa was on the verge of fainting from the oppression, feeling an anger that was different in nature from that of a human.

It was a sticky energy that was hard to believe had come from the being who had lent her strength through her body.

If she had known ‘this’ was the true nature of power, she would never have dared to fight.

No, she might not have even made a contract in the first place.

This wasn’t anything like a god.

It was a calamity.

The momentum of the aura grew stronger and stronger, and the nearby temple building crumbled to dust.

『ⱭƖեհօմցհ Ӏ ժօղ’ե Ɩํƙҽ ϲհɑsํղց ʍɑƖҽ աօɾʍs. . . Ӏ’ƖƖ ϲհҽա ყօմ մթ ƒํɾsե ҍҽϲɑմsҽ ყօմ’ɾҽ sօ ϲհҽҽƙყ.』

In an instant, [Kagutsuchi]’s body shot towards the ground like a bolt of red lightning.

Siwoo reflexively circulated the magic around his body.

Like a sports car engine, the magic raced throughout his body and extended his energy to every corner of his body.

[Iron Song: Shield of the God]

Three huge shields with lion faces engraved on them blocked his front.

As Siwoo had expected, he wasn’t charging.

This was because the state of the magic concentrated in the front looked like it was going to ‘pour out’ something.

Fwhooooosh!! Aaaack!!

A deep and dark flame from Kagutsuchi’s mouth writhed and rushed at Siwoo like a living, breathing creature.

“That flame, you must never let it touch you!”

Hayakawa shouted urgently.

A fire among fires that could burn anything in the world.

The flame didn’t reach Siwoo because it was blocked by the shield in advance.

However, two of the three shields melted away without a trace, and the remaining one gradually returned to mana particles due to the heat.

『Տհհհ. Ӏե’s sեɾɑղցҽ եհɑե ɑ ղօղ-sհɑʍɑղ ํs մsํղց sմϲհ sեɾɑղցҽ եҽϲհղํqմҽs. Ɗํժ եհҽ հմʍɑղs ɾҽɑƖƖყ sҽղժ ყօմ եօ ցҽե ɾํժ օƒ ʍҽ?』

The fire serpent’s bright yellow eyes glared.

No human had ever tried to defeat a god in his entire life.

Rather, they were grateful and offered sacrifices.

Kagutsuchi turned its head abruptly.

『Ɠօօժ. Ӏƒ եհɑե’s ահɑե ყօմ աɑղե, եհํs օƖժ ʍɑղ աํƖƖ եɑƙҽ ყօմ ɑƖƖ օղ ํղ ҽɑɾղҽsե.』

The spirit’s body trembled and began to shed its skin.

“Gasp. . . Cough!”

Hayakawa, who had been watching the sight in a daze, grabbed her heart and collapsed.

Her consciousness grew faint from the excruciating pain.

It felt as if her life force was being drained away in an instant.

A stream of blood flowed from her mouth, and

a strange beast with limbs that had grown under the moonlight bared its teeth and growled.

“A dragon. . .”

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