That attack was really large in scale.
Even if she was a god, she likely couldn't launch it successively.
The strategy we made based on that idea turned out successfully.
——DOGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!
"Now!"
After flying back to above the massive hole and inducing another
attack, we charged into the bottommost part in an instant—then, we
met her.
"Is that, Mother Earth-sama…!?"
"—Gigyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
A being was rampaging while constantly discharging black mud-like
substance from all over her body. She was shaped like a woman.
No, it might be more precise to say that we humans were the ones
who were shaped based on her figure instead.
Even if, most of her whole body, including her head, was festered
and no longer functioning except her mouth.
"W-what's this…!? Is this really the god of life who purifies the earth's
filth…!?"
"Honestly speaking, this is beyond my expectation… To think she
has transformed into a being that produces filth like this…"
Naturally, Arca and Magmell couldn't hide their shock, either.
I was sure without a doubt that this wasn't her original form.
I mean, she was the goddess of purification and life.
She must have been a very beautiful goddess.
But most likely, the filth in the earth had accumulated too much for
her to purify.
Due to that, Mother Earth-sama, who was supposed to give birth to
new life from the filth that she had purified, had come to give birth
new life from the filth itself.
Her purification couldn't keep up with the rate the filth was
accumulating, and she ended up being swallowed by it.
"Please look over there! Monsters are being born from the mud one
after another!"
"Kh, if we don't do something about Mother Earth-sama soon, the
world will eventually be flooded with monsters!"
"I know! So, you two please stop the monsters from going out as
best as you can! Of course, if you think it's getting dangerous,
immediately withdraw! About Mother Earth-sama—I'll figure
something out!"
"I understand!" "Got it!"
After seeing the two nodded, I dropped them down on a nearby rock
wall and headed for Mother Earth-sama by myself.
◇ ◇
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Heavy slash! I slashed at her jaw with a greatsword from below.
It was hard and the blade couldn't cut into it, but it was enough.
"Gigyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
——Dogaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!
At the next moment, a torrent of dazzling light flew straight up from
Mother Earth-sama's mouth.
Geez, that's totally dangerous, I wish she'll stop firing it.
Maybe she had forgotten herself because of anger, Mother Earthsama was attacking indiscriminately.
If that hit the wall, not only Mother Earth-sama, but all of us would be
buried alive.
I had to end this as soon as possible.
"Oraa!"
——Gakin!
"Gigeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
But what should I do?
Mother Earth-sama was the god of earth.
She had the role of purifying filth and nurturing life.
Killing her meant that there would no longer be anyone who could
purify the filth, and it would end up overflowing the world.
Then, as Freyr-sama said, the earth would probably continue to
wither away and eventually die out.
In other words— killing her was not an option.
"In that case!" I made up my mind and charged for Mother Earthsama.
Of course, she opened her mouth and tried to bite me to death, but.
"I'm going iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnn!!"
――Blaze!
"Gigyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?"
With flames shrouding my body, I forcibly broke into Mother Earthsama's body.
◇ ◇
Inside was a mysterious place.
I'd thought it would be full of digestive organs or the sorts, like the
inside of the flying dragon that ate me before, but.
Turned out it was completely different.
The inside was a pitch-black space that stretched out endlessly.
"U-ugh…"
"!"
Inside the dark space filled with silence, the groan of a woman
suddenly echoed. Following it, I made my way to the source.
Then finally, I came upon a woman whose whole body was
restrained by the mud-like substance.
She was a beautiful woman who seemed to be in her mid-20s.
By the way, she had no clothes on.
The mud extended up from the woman's feet seemingly crucifying
her.
Most likely, she was the real Mother Earth-sama.
"You… are…?"
Looked like she still retained a minimal awareness.
Albeit weakly, she looked at me and asked who I was.
"My name is Exa. I came to save you."
"That is… impossible… I am already… defiled…"
"Don't worry. I'll heal you." The moment I touched her, my skin was
burned, probably because of the filth.
However, compared to the pain she had suffered until now, this was
nothing.
"Please… stop… At this rate… you will…" Mother Earth-sama made
a sorrowful face.
I smiled and laughed to reassure her. "No need to worry. After all, I'm
—'immortal'."
――Squi~sh.
I hugged her slender body.
Now was the time to show off my power.
The power of Vermillion Bird Form that allowed me to heal the injury
and also restore the stamina of the person I touched.
If I heal her infinitely, I should be able to heal her and purify the filth
defiling her.
——Very well, then, I'll take care of everything.
All the filth that swallowed Mother Earth-sama, or the new filth that
was still overflowing, I'd purify them all!
"Bring it oooooooooooooooooooon!!"
At that moment, a dazzling light engulfed us.