"Oh Mother, give me the strength to purify her heart."
Sister Maren repeated the words that still give me nightmares. Deep in my heart I knew what was about to happen.
On those words, a carved piece of log took form in her hand, a thick, round shape at the end, with a thinner part wrapped in rope for grip.
Then the clapper-looking thing floated in the air. Sister Maren opened her arms and it grew bigger. Big enough to ring the bell. On her command it pulled back, charging, then struck the bell with the charged force.
"AHHHHH!!!"
The beetle woman screamed in pain as her own weapon was used against her. But the bell’s intense vibration, mixing with her own, ringing, echoed loud enough to bury her scream like it wasn’t real.
Sister Maren rang the bell five times before stopping. And I thank her for that, I was getting PTSD, my past self was screaming to run away.
When the bell slowly quieted down, a small trail of blood came flowing out of the bell’s shadow.
Seraphine jumped down, landing heavy and powerful. Crouching, she lifted the bell with both of her muscular hands, then flipped it to the side like some toy. The bell rolled a little sideways, then stopped.
The sight of the beetle woman was not pretty to look at, she was traumatized. Her joints were bleeding, the shells that covered her curves were barely holding her together, her mouth was open for air, her compound pupils shrunk to the size of a mustard seed. Yet she was still sitting there, somehow.
She didn’t have the power to move or try anything, so it should be fine. Besides, Seraphine was here now.
"We have a fried beetle for a meal now! Ha ha ha!"
Seraphine said with animal mannerisms, holding her waist like a champion. Which she should, that bell weighs tons.
Away from those two, Sister Maren was gasping for air, palms sweaty, her eyes trying to shut themselves, and a posture you wouldn’t expect from a nun.
"Are you alright, Sister Maren?"
"Yes... I never used my eyes for this long. It put a lot of strain on me. I’m afraid I have to keep them closed for a few days."
With that, her eyelids covered the artwork of God. She fixed her bangs right after. I was just appreciating what a lady she is, and then Seraphine gave me a powerful tap on the back as praise.
"You perverted little freak. How did you manage to hold your own against a higher-ranking opponent? You’re a little brat, a student."
Seraphine laughed, thinking she wasn’t making fun of me at all. First she was confused, then she got impressed. What comes after that, you ask? Anger.
"When I found out how you snuck into the women’s bathhouse, I was thinking of killing you, but you’ve earned yourself a few more years with this little maneuver."
Seraphine being spiteful in her own way, I guess. I’m not sure what to make of this.
"Well... with Maren’s help, anything is possible."
Seraphine’s laughter returned. She’s right, I won the first half of the fight. But I would’ve been dead after, if I hadn’t used the instant regeneration potions.
Back when she was telling me about the plan mid-air.
"It’s a centuries-old, incomplete project of Greyclock Conservatory, from back when the higher-ups were corrupt. Her biology is both her strength and weakness. We can’t take advantage of most of her weakness."
"My eyes can see her wide range of attacks; close range is her strength. Notice that shell, it protects her from her own vibrations. That’s the only weakness we can use."
"Got it, just tell me what to do already."
"If I fight her alone, I’m sure to lose. Even Seraphine would struggle. First we go fight her, not at our full strength, then act as if we’ve lost to her."
"Then I will go get Seraphine. You are going to lure her to the secret ceremonial hall located below the bell tower, with the only ability you possess. Then I purify her..."
I wasn’t surprised that she knew about my ability, Kinky Scent. Which also meant she knew about the system. Just how far could she see? We would never know. I was just hoping she hadn’t seen anything about my past life.
Just as I came back to the present, looking at Seraphine’s laughing face and Sister Maren’s soft smile, enjoying the victory, with my guard down, I felt something approaching me. Heat.
Sister Maren suddenly pulled me to her side. As she did, my hand started burning, this burning sensation was familiar, a bombardier beetle’s spray but scaled up, hindering time.
"It hurts like a damn motherfucker!"
I turned around, there was a cloud of heated mist, with no smell, wrapped around the beetle woman, hiding her completely.
We took a few steps back because the mist was expanding. Sister Maren, taking no chances, opened her eyes again.
"Don’t even try anything. This mist is capable of melting bones if you stay in it long enough."
Sister Maren said, and I looked at my hand in horror for a moment. I hadn’t touched the mist, and this was still how it was. I felt like my skin and bones were burning. Luckily, Sister Maren cast a healing spell which helped a lot.
Seraphine opened her wrist, raising her hand, and her feathered polearm came flying into it.
With her warrior instinct, she took aim at the center of the mist and threw her polearm with radiating force. It disappeared into the mist, giving no results.
A few seconds passed and nothing happened. Then a small cloud of mist detached from the larger one and started running on two legs, leaving a trail of mist behind. Even injured, the beetle woman’s speed was incredible, she managed to get out of the hall.
Seraphine called her polearm back and ran after her.
"We should go too!"
The second I nodded to Sister Maren, the intensity of it all hit her, she dropped from exhaustion. She was about to fall, but I caught her just in time, her head leaning against my chest, and I suddenly became aware of how weak she had become and how much she had been pushing herself.