The Successor of the Saint Does Not Fight - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Echoing Song from the Other Side Part 7

There’s no room for negotiation.

A demon that has gained self-awareness forgets its original purpose and goes on a rampage. The ‘Song of Temptation’ has become nothing more than a demon indiscriminately attacking children.

However, even knowing this fact, I couldn’t shake my unease.

“But, Mom, you can do something about it, right?”

After all, my mother is the apostle of God, the unparalleled saint who defeats all demons.

Certainly, as the White Wolf suspected, perhaps my mother came to this place specifically to show the grim reality to Yuno.

But aside from that, I’m certain my mother has a plan to save the children. A saint is someone who can make the impossible possible.

With all my heart, I look directly at my mother, and eventually, she bursts out laughing.

“That’s right, Meril-chan. There’s always a solution.”

“See! I knew it!”

I snapped my fingers triumphantly.

It’s her bad habit, really. She’s always quick to scare me. I still hold a grudge from when I was little, when she would scare me by saying, “The demon’s coming~ The demon’s coming~” while wearing a blanket over her head.

With a smile, my mother began to explain her plan.

“For example, we could capture the ‘Song of Temptation’ and torture it. We’ll hurt it while threatening to release the children’s souls and kill it easily. If it’s a low-level demon without reason, negotiation wouldn’t be possible, but if it’s a self-aware demon, we can negotiate.”

“Torture?”

It’s not quite the strategy one would expect from a saint, but if it resolves the situation, then torture or anything else is fine by me.

“Well then, let’s get started with that plan—”

“But, Meril-chan, it’s likely that if the ‘Song of Temptation’ takes damage, it will accelerate the digestion of the souls it has absorbed to heal itself. While torturing it, some souls might be completely digested.”

My mother explained.

I flinched and looked at the children lying on the floor. If several souls were to be digested completely, it meant that some of them would die.

Sure, if the ‘Song of Temptation’ were to appear in front of me right now and attack, I would undoubtedly ask my mother to defeat the demon without hesitation. However, if there’s no immediate danger to me, I’d rather not witness any deaths. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and I’d likely feel gloomy for quite some time.

“But then again, if we just leave things as they are, everyone might end up dead anyway. Even now, their lifespans are slowly being drained, even if they don’t die immediately. What should we do, Meril-chan?”

My mother asked me with a smile.

Even though she asked, as a complete novice, there was nothing I could offer in terms of opinion. After pondering for a while, I confidently replied:

“It’ll be okay! I’m sure Mom can figure something out!”

Despite her brain being packed with muscles, being bad at cooking, or being mischievous—there were plenty of flaws, but I still knew my mother to be a kind-hearted person. And there’s no way she would abandon these children, no matter what she says.

Receiving my resolute words, my mother widened her eyes before letting out a small laugh.

Her smile seemed both joyful and sorrowful at the same time.

“…Yes, thank you, Meril-chan. Then, shall we use our last resort?”

She said.

“Wow! So, Mom, you did have a secret plan after all!?”

I exclaimed as I clenched my fist.

At that moment, as if in response to my excitement, my mother stomped her foot on the floor, and from there, a high-pitched sound resonated like a tuning fork.

To me, it sounded like nothing more than a strange noise, but as soon as the sound reached his ears, the White Wolf collapsed onto the floor.

“What… have you done? It feels like my innards are being stirred…”

He groaned.

“Hold on a little longer, Wolfie. It’s okay, this sound just makes demons uncomfortable, it doesn’t cause any harm,” my mother reassured him before stomping on the floor again.

The White Wolf must have prepared himself, as this time he gritted his teeth and endured it. However, his expression was so painful that I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity.

“Hey Mom, maybe if we stop for a bit—”

“Listen, Meril-chan. Pay attention.”

My mother interrupted my attempt to intervene, her tone serious.

“What would you do if you wanted to make someone throw up what they ate? If you were dealing with a human, that is.”

“Um, what… what are you talking about?”

“Remember what happened when you ate the cake I made a while ago?”

“I threw up!”

I exclaimed, recalling the traumatic experience.

That taste was so horrendous, it was a one-time experience that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone.

“Exactly. To a demon, the holy power of exorcism is as distasteful as the cake I made. Remember that.”

My mother explained.

Just as I was wondering what my mother was trying to say, beautiful singing suddenly filled my ears from somewhere nearby.

The melody was more beautiful than any choir I had ever heard, with a hauntingly gentle tone reminiscent of a lullaby, both sad and tender—

“You’ll be alright, I’m sure of it.”

My mother said, embracing me.

With that sensation, I suddenly lost consciousness.