Paradigm Parasite

224 "Retaliation"

The movement of the cristella that rushed at me was incomparable to what I had just seen.

In a split second, I was caught in the gap and I twisted and ducked a slash with a single stroke of the paper.

Close combat is tough. Use [Explosion II] at close range. Directionality is not toyed with.

Explosive flames and impacts burst around the expression point and blow my body away.

Having regained my position in the air, I fire a barrage of [Wind Blade] at the location where Cristela is likely to be.

At the same time, I boosted my physical capabilities with [Activation].

There are some oddities in her tone of voice and behaviour, but as far as I can tell, she's really Cristela.

Not possession? At least it's different from Grigori's possession.

And the threat level is higher.

Grigori was just wielding his power based on his performance, so there were many opportunities to take advantage of him, but this one has not only his personality, but even his skills intact.

...tricky.

In addition, his physical abilities have increased dramatically.

I don't feel like I'm being pushed around by my changed abilities, and this is tough.

The smoke is blown away and an unharmed Crystella appears.

"Let me show you the authority I have borrowed! ' reporting -like justice'!"

The golden ring on Cristela's back shone strongly, and suddenly my neck snapped open as if something had cut me, and a windpipe opened in my stomach.

At the same time, bruises and cuts appear all over my body.

...This is...

Was the damage from the cristella returned to me as it was?

I remember the damage to my flesh. It's relatively light, but it's the same as what that woman suffered.

"This is one of the powers of justice. The power of retribution, whereby the wrongs you have done to others rebound on you! You have been wounded by your own sins!"

Oh, come on.

I'm the one who punched the windpipe in your stomach and decapitated you, not the other way round, but don't be lax about it.

From the looks of it, rather than bouncing the damage back, it's more like copying your damage onto your opponent.

My wounds were light, probably because Cristela's treatment was progressing.

I saw Cristela holding up a fluorescent light.

I jump behind her as fast as I can the moment I see it, but at that moment I see a glowing, true radio woman with her prey swinging in front of me.

Can't I even react?

I could barely read the trajectory of the slash.

A cleaving flash to the waist. I quickly cut myself from the waist down.

''Nah...''

With a surprised expression on my face, my lower body kicks into my stomach and blows away Cristela.

My upper and lower bodies merge in mid-air and then fly out of the cathedral with the same momentum.

I can't catch her moving like this.

I modify my eyeballs.

I have added an extra pupil. The whites of the eyes have disappeared and the eyeballs have been transformed into something reminiscent of an insect's compound eyes.

Okay, this should make it a little easier to see.

...Now, from anywhere...

Side step as soon as the back of the cathedral lit up.

A moment ago, Cristela swung a fluorescent light down into the space where I was.

It's fast, but I manage to see. I play with part of my eye and change it to a magic eye.

The magic eye of control.

The pride of this guy is his speed, even if it's enhanced.

If only that could be dealt with, the threat level would be drastically reduced.

Exposed to the gaze, Cristela's movement stops for a moment as if caught, but it comes towards you.

Damn. Is it all you can do to stop for a moment?

Anyway, we can't talk if we don't stop.

--Rothfeldt-sama!

A voice echoes in my brain. It's Fatima.

She must have realised my situation by going outside.

There was a hint that she was going to call her men back, but I shake my head inwardly.

- - Don't! I don't need cover. He's moving too fast for anyone else to follow.

-Kuku... but..!

A sign of teeth gnashing.

--I'll take care of this one. You guys hurry up and take control!

The objective is extermination. It's not good to be obsessed with this one and neglect the others.

If you're raising your fighting power based on the same logic as Grigori, you'll reach your limit at some point.

At worst, if you persist until then, you will have a chance to win.

While avoiding the slashes that draw a tail of light, I go to find a way to win.

--Anyway, you should hurry up and take care of the others! If there's room, there's a group of Trusts in the cathedral. The wounds are deep, so send someone who can heal them.

--I understand.

Savage, who was late to the party, was about to join in to cover me, but I tell him to back off.

I'm sorry, but I want to concentrate on the battle. If you don't need me, I'll tell you later, and disconnect [communication].

"What's the matter? Just running away?"

The obviously excited Cristela is truly in high spirits and delivers slash after slash at a speed that can be described as divine speed.

...you radio-woman! You're so uptight.

The very good mood on her face was unpleasant, but she calmly watched her movements.

At the same time, I unfold a map of the area in my mind and look for a place that looks easy to do.

Flat ground is not good. This is because the opponent can make full use of his speed.

Let's say we lure them to a place where there are no pavements and trees are thick.

No matter how fast you are, you are not flying.

I'd like to think it would be a little better if the footing was rougher, but ...... it's a long shot.

The Grigori guys were flying normally, and there is a good chance that this one is too.

But that would be a drag, because they would have to devote resources to flight.

He moves while dodging, and when the trees come closer, he jumps into the gap.

The rain seemed to intensify in intensity and he felt the force of the rainwater hitting his body increasing.

I skimmed my eyes over the surroundings and headed for a dense area of trees with few routes through, and set up a trap through a gap in the trees where a single person could pass.

Cristela catches sight of it flying towards us, kicking at the trees.

You're a ninja, aren't you?

Well, it's more convenient to be in the air.

I activate it where I passed through the gap in the trees.

"...ku..."

Caught by gravity in mid-air, Cristela was slammed to the ground as it was.

Did this work?

This is a magic that generates gravity at a specified point.

You can't hold on in the air, can you?

When she tried to get up, I hit her with a series of [Explosion II] as if to fold her up.

After about 30 hits, burns spread over my entire body.

Damaged copies of the example?

Judging by the degree of damage, it seems to be getting through there.

In the aftermath of the magic, the surrounding trees catch fire despite the rain.

"ho, ' justice' iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

Cristela emerges from the flames and smoke with a halo on her back, her entire body burning.

Her beauty has been badly damaged by the flames, but she is gradually being restored by the light.

I start repairing mine too. From the feel of it, I am faster at repairing than her. If it's a grinding match, I have the advantage.

I tried to give chase, but the halo on Cristela's back lit up and something like a shockwave spread out.

I couldn't defend myself in time.

I received a shock as if I had been punched in the torso and was blown away.

The fire that had begun to burn everywhere was also extinguished.

I was smashed into a nearby tree, but I didn't care.

Cristela, in armour carbonised here and there, comes charging straight at me with fluorescent lights held in both hands.

I cluck my tongue inwardly and hit [Explosion] repeatedly. I intercept, but it doesn't stop.

Cristela takes a direct hit from the magic, but rushes in without caring.

The distance that had been open instantly becomes zero, and the tip of the fluorescent lamp that I have set up sticks into my left chest area with the same momentum as it rushes in.

I was stitched to a nearby tree like an insect specimen.

At the same time, Cristela's armour glows. The light burns my whole body.

This light seems to have an inhibitory effect on regeneration, and the more I am exposed to it, the slower my wounds heal.

My surface begins to carbonise and gradually penetrates deep into my flesh.

Ah, this is not good, I think, and I become a little impatient.

...I would have preferred it if I could have been incapacitated first, but I guess it can't be helped.

Let's change hands. I grab the cristella by the neck and claw at it while it burns me.

Roots extend from the claws that have dug in and penetrate into the body.Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m nov𝒆lb(i)n.c(o)m

If I can't stick around until time runs out, I've changed my policy to taking over directly.

As far as I'm concerned, I won't be able to get any information out of him, but I can at least stop him moving.

To be honest, I've never brainwashed someone in this state before, and I didn't want to do it because I didn't know what would happen, but... well, I had no choice.

Do you want to see some of my memories while you're taking over?

...and I'd like to do something about this light before I burn to death.

Cristela.

That was the only name she had from birth.

Her mother was a prostitute of some kind. I don't know her father, but he was probably one of her clients.

She has little or no memory of her biological parents, and the same is true of her childhood.

Her first memories are of a rust-coloured sky and a faded, desolate view of the city.

Where that was is also beyond her memory.

...In fact, I tried to find out, but he didn't know either, so it's iffy.

She probably doesn't remember, but her mother had the habit of giving birth to her, raising her properly, and when she got tired of it, she simply abandoned Cristela.

When she was first born, she smiled and said that she was "my darling", but then she casually dumped her in a back alley, as if she were throwing away rubbish.

Later, when she was alone, she lived a rubbish life, scavenging for scraps of food.

A Gnostic Sister appears.

She cleanses the dirty kid, feeds him and dresses him to a human level.

This is her turning point, the origin of her thoughts and ideas, the embodiment of righteousness.

At least Cristela seems to mistake the sisters in front of her as goddesses of salvation or something, but objectively, it is a laughable travesty.

The sisters are probably in the business of rounding up orphans and other dying children and throwing them into institutions called orphanages, and they seem to be doing similar things here and there.

Kristela thinks she is giving a loving hand to underprivileged children, but in reality it is brainwashing education to instil Gnostic ideology.

And the sooner everything is done, the better.

This kind of brainwashing tends to work on children who haven't yet formed their own ideas.

Kristela is no exception, and as a result of her education, she has become a believer in the noble principles of Gnosis from the bottom of her heart.

It is natural for people to help others.

The haves should give alms to the have-nots.

Punishment for sin, judgement for evil. It's what's called 'good for good, evil for evil'.

...I'm sorry, but if you ask me, it's a beautiful thing.

Although there are individual differences, I don't think human beings are generous creatures who can give freely to others without compensation.

At best, it is limited to those close to us.

Let's return to the story.

So, Kristella was picked up by the orphanage and given a new name.

Her surname is Marguerite from the orphanage.

Her name is Albertine, given to her by the Sister who is also the director of the orphanage.

Together, they are Christella Albertine Marguerite.

The result is the current Cathedral knight.

At the orphanage, they were given various types of education while at the same time having their thoughts instilled in them.

In the process, aptitudes are identified and strengths are developed, and those who emerge are future candidates for executive positions.

Cristela excelled in the handling of weapons, especially swords, and in no time at all, she rose to the rank of knight of the cathedral.

He was also a member of the "Sacred Heart", which is the name given to the temple's church.

After becoming a knight of the cathedral, his education for gifted children continued, and the people he placed around him were also designed in consideration of his education.

They are convenient, moderately blind, and do not infuse anything unnecessary into their lives.

Such people were placed as caretakers and squires.

The result is an innocent female holy knight who even feels distorted.

The distortion comes from the fact that Gnosis only sees what is convenient for them.

That's why she's so delusional and talks with a straight face.

Now, I could see the memory in one way, but I'm in trouble.

I can't reach the roots.

I've succeeded in contacting the brain, but when I try to invade it, it burns me out.

Perhaps it's the effect of that light, but even inside the body - or is it a defence mechanism to protect the soul?

At present, only half-hearted assimilation is possible.

Failure.

If this too is a failure, we must be prepared for it.

Of course, it's not death. Separate only the head and let the body self-destruct and escape.

I'm sorry, but I can't stay with you.

If you let the magic in your body run wild and explode, even if you can't kill it, you'll probably be able to inflict some injuries.

In the meantime, retreat.

If you can't do it after all this, you have no choice but to prepare for the damage and saturate the area with attacks.

I didn't want to do it because it wouldn't be worth it, but let's crush them with our numbers.

I set a course of action, and when I brought my consciousness back to my eyes, for some reason, I met eyes with a stunned Cristela.

...what's with your face?