Chapter 290 At the End of a Death Struggle
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Inside Sister Amelia’s heart, a tempest raged – a violent collision of frantic conflict and cold, hard judgment.
Her first thought: I cannot let her die. Satsuki. The Court Mage ¹. Satsuki was more than a friend; she was the hero of this subjugation force, and she was the one her own heart’s desire desired.
If this woman were to perish, the void left behind would be filled only with a depthless, irreversible misery. Amelia glanced at the ring on her own scorched finger. In that moment, her soul went still. She would not allow it. Not this.
Next, her mind turned to the mages Marsetta and Kushe, who had achieved such greatness. They had pushed themselves past the brink to keep the “Ddo-Buddy Cannon” ² firing. She could not allow such a cruel fate to befall them.
Amelia realized then that she was trembling with rage. It was a primal, human fury welling up from the pit of her stomach – a fundamental rebellion against the senseless, irrational violence of the monsters.
This was the very reason she had first knocked on the convent doors. She remembered her father shielding her from a beast when she was a child, his body broken for her. She remembered the way he held her, and the look on his face the day the poverty became too much and he had to entrust her to the church.
The fire in her heart flared higher. No one dies today. Not the soldiers of the Kingdom Army ³ who had bled to clear this path, not the loyal dog-beastmen who had fought like brothers, and not her own kin in the “Holy Labor Corps” who had shared the joys and sorrows of this “Subjugation Journey.”
Could she do it? Could she manifest the “Extreme Holy Defense Art” ⁴ one more time? From the corner of her eye, she saw her mentor, Mother Marian. The elder woman had cast aside her usual sultry elegance, wringing every last drop of mana from her exhausted frame.
Marian could no longer lead the ritual. The other clergy were broken, their reserves spent. How could she save them? These beautiful people she loved, who had gathered here burning with a sense of duty…
At that moment, Amelia reached the same desperate wish the ancient saints of the Church of Demon-Subjugation ⁵ once held. This white-hot anger was the very thing that gathered them all under the name of God.
”…Our Father, who art in heaven…” Amelia whispered.
”Amelia-san…?” Satsuki asked weakly.
Sister Amelia laid Satsuki down with a tenderness that defied the chaos. She stood unsteadily and glared at Zil Meina ⁶ – the wicked female dragon who, even on the verge of death, prepared to unleash a final, hateful gale of destruction upon humanity.
”We are the faithful servants of the Lord…”
”Wait, Amelia-san! Stop!” Satsuki cried.
Amelia clutched the ring at her breast and stepped forward. She blocked out Satsuki’s frantic voice. She ignored the lingering attachments and the unspoken love welling up deep in her heart, pretending they didn’t exist.
”…To this wretched servant, grant the guidance of the Subjugation!”
”AMELIA – !!!” Satsuki screamed.
It was the ultimate act of self-denial. To cast away every shred of oneself for the sake of another – that was the very reason a saint was a saint.
Satsuki’s scream and Zil Meina’s dragon breath collided in time. A colossal wave of hellfire erupted from the dragon’s massive frame, crawling across the earth to swallow the subjugation force.
Some braced for the end. Others cursed their fate in despair. Many didn’t even know what was happening, too busy locked in combat with the Lesser Dragons. They were all about to be reduced to ash.
Then, the world turned white.
It wasn’t a murky or clouded white. It was pure. Absolute. A white so brilliant it was violent, an oppressive, all-consuming radiance that bleached the very fabric of reality. White. White. White. —-
When the color finally bled back into the world, the soldiers couldn’t believe their eyes. The hellfire was gone without a trace. Even the Lesser Dragons that had been swarming them had vanished.
The only evidence of the struggle were the two Great Dragons, lying in heaps of silent, heavy meat. And then, the sky began to rain dragon corpses.
Splat. Thump. Squelch. Crash.
”Get back! Watch the sky! Protect the wounded!” General Oromanso barked.
The bear-beastman general was the first to snap back to reality. His soldiers moved on instinct, raising their heavy shields to create a canopy against the falling dragon remains.
”What is this…?” Slop muttered.
The leader of the dog-beastmen dodged a falling carcass and noticed the abnormality. Every single dragon was dead, but it wasn’t just that. Their eyes had all burst from the inside.
It was as if their wicked eyes couldn’t withstand the purity of that light – as if they had detonated under the weight of it. He didn’t understand how such corpses were made, only that the enemy had been annihilated.
”Amelia-chan…!”
”Ah! Marian-dono, stop! You’re in no condition to walk!” Oromanso shouted.
Mother Marian didn’t listen. She ran, her eyes searching for her beloved pupil.
She found her through the rain of dragon scales. Amelia was on her knees, surrounded by the battered forms of Satsuki and the others. Her hands were clasped in prayer.
”M-Mother! Mother Marian!” Satsuki sobbed. “Amelia-san… she… she won’t wake up!”
”Quiet. I know,” Marian said, rushing to her side.
Despite her own panic, Marian knelt and pulled Amelia into her arms. She looked at her disciple’s face – eyes closed, serene. She stroked Amelia’s cheek, then her shoulder, finally resting her hand over Amelia’s clasped fingers. She realized those hands were clutching “something” at her breast with a grip of iron.
”What happened to her?!” Satsuki asked hysterically. “She’s been like this since the light faded! She won’t wake up!”
”……”
”Mother!” Satsuki pleaded.
Marian stared at Amelia, her lips pressed into a thin line. She didn’t speak. She only bit her lip, her face contorted with the effort of holding back an ocean of emotion.
”Satsuki, calm down!” Oromanso ordered. “Sister Amelia is a concern, but the rest of you need treatment immediately!”
”This is no time for that!” Satsuki yelled. “Mother, tell me! What on earth happened to her?!”
Shaking off the rebukes of Oromanso, who had come chasing after her, Satsuki pressed Marian for answers. Finally appearing to give in, Marian squeezed out a trembling voice.
”It’s… likely the phenomenon called ‘Holy Sleep ,’” Marian said.
”Holy Sleep? Are you saying this is… just sleeping?” Satsuki asked.
”It is different from… just sleeping,” Marian replied. “A few similar cases are known, but this sleep is…”
”Tell me everything,” Satsuki said, her voice brooking no argument.
Marian nodded and turned around. While she searched for words, other nuns arrived and began treating the wounds of Satsuki and the others. Upon seeing the girl’s form, the nuns all nodded with expressions that said “as expected.” They offered prayers to show her respect before starting the treatment.
Apparently, they understood what was happening. Satsuki felt like she was being crushed by anxiety, yet she waited for Marian’s explanation.
Nearby, the rain of Lesser Dragons had stopped, and the cleanup had begun. Men and women ran about confirming the safety of their comrades, while the injured sought out sorcery-users or healers for aid.
”First, about that light,” Marian began.
”Yes?” Satsuki asked.
”It is a holy art that repels evil and creates a ‘Sanctuary .’ I have never seen one on such a massive scale, but there are records of a Saint who once shielded an entire town within one,” Marian explained.
Satsuki nodded. So Amelia-chan had protected them by deploying that Sanctuary. The words “Is it different from Ultra-Holy Defense?” almost leaked from her mouth, but she pushed the thought aside. This wasn’t the time for technicalities.
”In this day and age, a few dozen priests are lucky to cover a single house with that spell,” Marian continued. “It’s powerful, but practically useless because of the cost.”
”In the past, it wasn’t like that?” Satsuki asked.
”That’s right. During the ancient Crusades, it was quite common. Perhaps the ever-diligent Amelia-chan had looked through old records before setting out,” Marian said.
Satsuki nodded again. She understood that Amelia-chan had used a legendary art to save them. But how did that lead to her current state?
”This is the main point,” Marian said. “Since ancient times, there have been certain practitioners-devout believers-who could perform ‘Miracles’ that defy common sense. A single person could pierce a Great Wyrm, heal thousands at once, or shield a city from a natural disaster.”
Satsuki remained silent.
”We call those people ‘Saints.’ They are the vessels for miracles beyond human reach. But after manifesting a power that far exceeds their own strength, some fall into a slumber as if their very soul has been spent,” Marian explained.
”Is that the ‘Holy Sleep’?” Satsuki whispered.
Marian responded with a slow nod. It was exactly what was happening to Amelia-chan. Satsuki wasn’t intimately familiar with the lore of Saints, but the stories were familiar.
”The priest who saved the village and never woke up again…” Satsuki muttered.
”You know the story well. I believe it was a popular picture book,” Marian noted.
”My grandmother read it to me. I remember throwing a tantrum because the ending was so unfair. Is Amelia-chan… is she going to end up like that?” Satsuki asked.
As she spoke, tears began to well up. Reading the silent affirmation in Marian’s expression, Satsuki felt a surge of grief. It was too much. What was she supposed to tell Kento-san?
”Wait, what?” Kushe’s voice cut through the gloom, sounding jarringly upbeat. “Didn’t that priest wake up when a village girl kissed him?”
”Huh?” the two women blurted out in unison.
”No, wait. Maybe that wasn’t the priest. Was it that one woodcutter story?” Kushe asked, rubbing her chin.
Kushe, the blood finally stopping on her forehead, cut into the conversation with a cheerful tone that felt entirely out of place. Satsuki wanted to scream that this wasn’t the time for fairy tales.
”W-what do you mean?” Satsuki stammered.
”Look, in Coalmine , that’s how it goes,” Kushe said. “The hero who saves the town is brought back by a kiss from a local beauty.”
”Well… I suppose there are variations of the folklore,” Marian admitted, looking confused.
Kushe had a mischievous glint in her eye. “Look, we can’t exactly drag Kento-san out here, and carrying her all the way back is a pain. So, how about this? Hey! Sister Amelia! Time to wake up! If you get up right now, Kento-san said he’ll do anything you want!”
”Kushe, stop it!” Satsuki hissed.
Kushe ignored her. “I’m serious! He’ll carry you in his arms, he’ll give you a million kisses… he might even take you into a private room for some ‘special lessons’!”
Satsuki started to panic as the suggestions got more scandalous. “Don’t say such things out loud!”
Her finger twitched.
”Aha! She moved! I saw it!” Kushe shouted.
”What!?” Satsuki gasped.
”She definitely reacted! Come on, Sister, what are you dreaming about? Is it the full ‘buzz-buzz’ treatment? Getting locked in a room full of aphrodisiacs? Getting so worked up you can’t breathe while Kento-san pats your head and tells you what a ‘good girl’ you are?” Kushe yelled.
Twitch. Twitch.
Amelia-chan was reacting completely. She didn’t speak, but she was clearly fighting to regain consciousness in anticipation of Kushe’s wild promises.
”Your turn, Satsuki! Help me out!” Kushe urged.
”E-eh!? No way!” Satsuki cried.
”Just tell her what you want him to do to you! I don’t know her specific tastes, so you have to do it! Do you want her to stay asleep forever?” Kushe asked.
Faced with that, Satsuki had no choice. Her face twisted in embarrassment, but she leaned down and whispered a single, illicit sentence into Amelia-chan’s ear.
Suddenly, Amelia-chan’s eyes snapped open.
”No way! Kento-san, stop! I can’t… I’ll break! I’ll die!” Amelia-chan shrieked, her face turning a deep crimson. “Wait… Satsuki? Marian-san?”
”Good morning, Amelia-chan,” Satsuki said, letting out a long, relieved sigh.
Sister Amelia sat up, shaking her head “no, no” while her face burned. Despite her frantic protests, a faint, blissful smile played on her lips as she finally woke from the “Holy Sleep.”
—
Summary:
Faced with total annihilation by the dragon Zil Meina, Sister Amelia channels a primal rage into a final, ultimate ‘Subjugation’ prayer. A blinding white light consumes the battlefield, instantly killing all enemy dragons by bursting their eyes. The battle ends in a eerie rain of dragon corpses, but Amelia remains unresponsive in a trance-like state.
—
Trivia:
- Amelia’s ‘scorched finger’ still has a ring on it that is central to her motivation.
- The ‘Ddo-Buddy Cannon’ was used by Marsetta and Kushe previously.
- Amelia is specifically protecting Satsuki because Satsuki is the ‘beloved of the one she loves’.
- The enemies died from internal pressure (eyes bursting), not just physical impact.
- Mother Marian has abandoned her ‘sultry’ persona due to pure exhaustion
—
Character Insight:
Amelia undergoes a transition from a supportive sister to a ‘Saint’ through an act of ultimate self-denial. Her motivation isn’t just religious piety, but a human anger against the ‘unreasonable’ nature of monsters, rooted in her childhood trauma.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The term ‘Subjugation Journey’ (降魔の旅) hints at the historical weight and specific mission of the Holy Labor Corps within the church’s hierarchy.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Amelia – The Sister of the Church of Demon-Subjugating, who usually buys from Kento, has light blue hair.
• Satsuki – A talented Court Mage who was forced to analyze the shop’s adult magic tools. Miranda’s granddaughter. Now she’s the new worker at Harvest, a development she finds both humiliating and surprisingly fulfilling due to the rapid progress in her research under Kento’s guidance. Has long black hair, palace mage robe, and staff.
• Marsetta – A senior court mage and specialist in magical weaponry. She has disheveled hair tied back, wears glasses, and has deep dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. She hasn’t eaten in two days and is under heavy pressure to find a countermeasure for the enemy’s weapons.
• Kushe – The Chief Mage of the Coalmine Kingdom. She has dark green hair grown out haphazardly and wears a mage robe loosely over her shoulders. She has a blunt, informal, and somewhat insensitive personality, focused on her ‘thinking experiments.’
• Marian – A ‘Mother’ and supervisor from the Church of Demon-Subjugation. Her appearance and demeanor defy the Church’s purported ‘chastity,’ instead she has wavy purple long hair, busty, black nun, tear mole under eye, and monroe walk. She has arrived with a clear purpose: to confront Kento about the ‘Devil’s Stick.
• Oromanso – A General serving as the assistant to Duke Roost. Bear beastman.
• Slop – Leader of the hound-kin pack; Laika’s father. Has orange hair and fluffy tail.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply