* * *

“AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

I absorb from the 【Black Tentacles】 thrust into Kolmallya’s forehead!

Absorb!

Absorb mana!

With this “Magic” I learned from Sensei, and developed!

I suck mana from the sludge!

‘The Happy Sludge’, Kolmallya, which has existed for a long, long time.

The driving force behind this Calamity, which once destroyed an entire world, is, however, goodwill.

With pure goodwill, it has destroyed everything to make everything ‘happy’.

…What I’m trying to say is—

Kolmallya, whose essence is good, didn’t show any resistance when I started absorbing its mana with malicious intent.

Why are you doing this?

If you become “me”, you can be ‘happy’, right?

I can sense Kolmallya’s thoughts, carried by the stench in the wind.

This sludge is truly puzzled and bewildered.

Kolmallya, with the 【Black Tentacles】 still stuck in its forehead, tilted its head.

What a foolish reaction.

Until now, excluding the destruction of the world where Kolmallya was born and the sealing by the gods of Ardyst… even when faced with malice, Kolmallya was able to repel it with its sheer mass.

Without doing anything.

That’s why Kolmallya completely lacks the concept of “defense” or “resistance”.

Therefore, I can absorb as much mana as I want!

The mana that this sludge has accumulated!

It flows into my greedy soul with even greater force than from the giant magic stone!

“Aaah… Aaaah… guh…!”

Unfortunately, there’s a price to pay for me too.

Blood spurts from my entire body, due to the backlash from the unfamiliar method of mana absorption.

It hurts.

It hurts like hell.

And to make matters worse, the sludge finally started moving.

From the giant lump of sludge, standing like a fountain where the Great Prison of Delenezo used to be, another giant arm extended towards me, trying to grab me.

Are you okay?

You look like you’re in pain.

Let’s become “me” quickly!

…With that goodwill.

“Guh… Rah!”

While continuing to absorb mana, I extended a new 【Black Arm】… and thrust its fist into the desert sand.

And just before the sludge arm, falling from above, could reach me… I pulled my body towards the fist of the 【Black Arm】 stuck in the sand!

A close call!

The sludge arm, slamming into the empty desert, sizzled as it was scorched by the hot sand, dried up… and spread an indescribable stench!

“I” am ‘happiness’.

“I” am ‘happiness’.

<Don’t smell it, Emi! You’ll be charmed again!>

…【Scent of Happiness】!

Extra-sama’s voice brought me back from my momentary daze.

…At this point, I have no choice!

I have an idea!

A special move to counter that terrible stench!

<Eh!? What is it!?>

“I call it… 【Black Nose Plugs】!!”

I created small 【Black Tentacles】, and stuck them into my nostrils, completely plugging them!

<Th-That’s uncool, Emi!>

I don’t care if it’s uncool!

“What’s important is… to survive!!”

I continued to pierce my 【Black Tentacles】 into the sludge tentacles that Kolmallya kept extending, absorbing their mana.

And then, the sludge tentacles quickly withered, turned into dust, and were blown away by the wind!

“RAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”

Next, the spear of 【Black Tentacles】—the 【Black Great Spear】—which I pulled out of Kolmallya earlier to dodge, I thrust it into the fountain-like main body of Kolmallya!

And then—Gulp, gulp, gulp!

I absorb mana!

Kolmallya extended another sludge arm to try to catch me, but I dodged it with my 【Black Arm】, just like before!

I continue to absorb mana!

“Aah… AAAAAAAAHHH!!”

As I continued that, the intense pain from mana absorption gradually subsided.

Instead, what fills me is pleasure.

My parched soul is being moistened by mana, and is screaming with joy!

I couldn’t help it, and increased the number of 【Black Tentacles】, piercing them into Kolmallya, one after another!

<N-No, Emi! You’re just numb to the pain! You’ve absorbed enough mana, haven’t you!? If you don’t escape soon, you…!!>

Extra-sama is saying something, but—

I can’t resist!

I can’t resist this pleasure!

I thrust multiple 【Black Arms】 into the ground as anchors, and used them to lift my body into the air.

It seems that Kolmallya can’t move that fast in this dry desert.

This sludge can no longer catch me, now that I’m floating in the air.

Kolmallya tried to cling to my 【Black Arm】 anchors, and absorb mana from me, but—

That’s a bad move.

By fighting Kolmallya, I’ve gotten quite used to mana absorption.

Since 【Black Arms】 and 【Black Tentacles】 are essentially the same… I can also absorb mana from my 【Black Arms】.

The sludge tentacles, clinging to my 【Black Arms】, were quickly drained of their mana, turned into dust, and disappeared.

“Aaah… Aaaaaah…”

Extend.

Extend.

I extend my 【Black Tentacles】 further and further.

Now, I’m extending tentacles from my entire body, and piercing them all into Kolmallya.

From afar, I probably look like a creepy ball of jet-black tentacles, clinging to the sludge.

I vaguely thought that.

“Guh.”

I spit up blood again.

I don’t feel any pain.

I don’t feel anything at all.

My vision has turned completely dark at some point.

But it’s fine.

I can sense mana.

The lump of mana that I should absorb—Kolmallya—is still before me.

It’s become quite a bit smaller.

But I can still enjoy this.

Anticipating the pleasure that will continue, I gulped.

<Emi… be prepared.>

But here, Extra-sama’s sudden words.

My rationality returned slightly, and I tilted my head.

Prepared?

<The total amount of mana you’ve absorbed just now… has exceeded the previous capacity of your soul.>

……?

<A normal person would die instantly, but you’re an exception. The more mana you absorb, the larger your soul becomes… and your body will begin to transform to match your soul.>

Transformation…

<You should have experience with this. When you absorbed the black dragon’s blood… or when you devoured the Last Dream… what happened to you?>

Hearing those words—

I gasped.

But it’s too late.

“Gah!?”

Because at that moment—

The intense pain of mana transformation, throughout my entire body.

Had already begun to torment me!

“AAAAAH!?”

<But! Be strong, Emi! If this happens, you won’t be able to move like before… you won’t be able to fight! You won’t be able to escape from Kolmallya!>

“Ga-A-AAAAAH!!”

<There’s only one path left for you now! …Mana absorption!>

“Ga, ga… GAAAAAH!!”

<Endure the pain, and absorb the Kolmallya part before your eyes! Don’t show any weakness! If you do, you’ll be absorbed by Kolmallya… !>

“A-A-AAH, AAH!!”

<I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Emi!! All I can do is cheer you on!! Please, please…!!>

“AH…!!”

<Do your best!! Emi!!>

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”

Increase, increase, increase the number of 【Black Tentacles】!!

Enduring the intense pain throughout my body, the kind of pain that makes you want to lose consciousness, I increased the speed of mana absorption!

I pierced as many tentacles as possible into Kolmallya!

I’ll even use the ones I was using as nose plugs!

And then, I suddenly noticed.

My vision, which I had lost, has returned.

My eyes have been reborn through mana transformation!

Kolmallya, reflected in my eyes, clouded with desire, obsession, and anger, has become much smaller.

The sludge, which once boasted the majestic appearance of a giant tower, is now the size of a house.

Although it’s still extending sludge tentacles towards me one after another, they can’t reach my main body, which has now become a mass of 【Black Tentacles】.

Every time they touch my 【Black Tentacles】, the sludge has its mana absorbed, turns into dust, and disappears.

There’s nothing Kolmallya can do anymore.

It just trembles, getting smaller and smaller.

That’s all.

If this continues, there’s a high possibility that I’ll lose.

If I lose to the intense pain, and lose consciousness, that alone means I lose.

I’ll be turned into “it”, and Kolmallya will be revived.

“Aaah… RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”

I screamed, my eyes burning with fighting spirit!

The pace of mana absorption reached its maximum speed, and Kolmallya shrunk rapidly…!

Kolmallya became smaller and smaller.

Finally, it became the size of a human head.

And then, it simply vanished.

Does it hurt?

Is it painful?

I’m sorry I couldn’t turn you into “me”.

I’m sorry I couldn’t make you ‘happy’.

Leaving behind those thoughts in the lingering scent.

* * *

“A-… Aah…”

I defeated Kolmallya.

But the intense pain tormenting my whole body still hasn’t stopped.

“Aaah…”

I erased all my 【Black Tentacles】, and gently landed on the desert sand…

…And collapsed face-first.

“Ah, guu…”

The scorching sand, the merciless sunlight, scorches my skin.

I involuntarily extended my erased 【Black Tentacles】 again.

I created a jet-black cocoon, covering my entire body.

And finally, inside it—

My strained nerves must have snapped.

I lost consciousness.

【‘The Happy Sludge’, Kolmallya】

A Calamity that once destroyed a world.

Wriggling sludge that emits a terrible stench.

Defining itself as ‘happiness’, with pure goodwill, it tries to fill the world with happiness by absorbing and turning everything into itself.

It has many weaknesses, such as dryness, high temperatures, and low temperatures, and it’s a Calamity that can be contained if you don’t make a mistake at the beginning, but if its mass increases, there’s nothing you can do.

The first world that was destroyed was, in many ways, a man-made disaster.

The Kolmallya that Emi defeated this time is just a small part of the Kolmallya that exists in Ardyst.

The main body of Kolmallya, with a much greater mass, is still sealed in the “Continent of War.”

The final battle with the main body will be in Part 4.