Gacha Addict in a Matriarchal World-Chapter 145 Betrayer (4)

“Fire Punch!”

A flaming fist swung towards the iron-armed heretic.

Whoosh!

The flames covering the large, thorny fist blazed fiercely. The target was their exposed side, revealed while blocking Lydia’s greatsword.

“You prickly bastard!”

The gal, who was holding off Lydia’s greatsword with crossed arms, gritted her teeth and pulled out one arm.

Naturally, the balance of power crumbled, and she was pushed back by Lydia. She barely deflected with her remaining arm but ended up with her face deeply slashed by the greatsword.

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Nevertheless, the iron-armed heretic didn’t stop and thrust her fist forward.

With blood streaming down her face, she growled like a savage beast, transcending gender roles or reversed worlds.

The spirit of those who have survived countless life-and-death battles.

I pride myself on having lived a rather eventful adventurer’s life, but I still have a long way to go to reach that level.

But it doesn’t matter. From the start, I had no intention of going head-to-head with a Mentor-class adventurer and winning.

Boom!

A fist made of thorny vines collided with a steel fist, echoing with a thunderous sound.

In an instant, the thorny vine wrapping the fist shattered and scattered in all directions. The ensuing impact forced the air out of my lungs.

“Cough!”

A rough coughing sound. But that was the end of it.

No bones were broken, and my internal organs weren’t shaken up by the impact.

This was all thanks to the armor that shattered into pieces, dispersing the shock in all directions. It was designed to do so from the start.

Though my arm felt a bit exposed, successfully blocking that savage blow was enough.

“You endured it?”

“Isn’t it good to be a man who lasts long?”

I gave a sly smile to the bewildered Iron Arm and focused my mind back on Basilieus.

I’m not trying to restore the broken arm. I’m controlling the thorny wood fragments scattered all around that were turning into ashes in the Phoenix’s flames.

Screech.

The fragments flying in the air and those rolling on the ground all come to a halt simultaneously.

All the thorny wood fragments that haven’t completely transformed into ashes retrace the path they flew along, according to my will.

It looks as if time is being reversed. However, the final destination is not my arm but Iron Arm’s arm.

“You damn brat?! What the hell did you do?!”

“Aha! Surprised?”

Of course, it’s not really time reversal. It’s just that I exercised absolute control over my Power using immense mental strength.

If the thorn wasn’t a fragment extending directly from Basilieus, or if I didn’t have the mental strength bonus from the Avatar of Love, it would have been impossible.

See? Even if they’re not for combat, 5-stars always come in handy.

While I chuckle. Iron Arm, who knows the terror of the Phoenix’s flames better because she’s an ally, hastily creates distance.

But Lydia was waiting there.

The knight’s aura blazed as fiercely as the Phoenix’s flame.

The aura emanating from her greatsword blazes fiercely enough to reach the ceiling. It looks as if she’s holding a massive pillar of fire instead of a weapon.

Clearly, a feat beyond human capability. However, for Lydia, even this is just a mere preparation.

The true strike follows from the current stance, a steadfast vertical slash.

A colossal pillar of fire descends. The torrent of overwhelming aura reminiscent of a natural disaster, and once again, the iron arms are raised.

Perhaps understanding well that the range is too wide to evade.

Without a moment’s hesitation, her iron arms are crossed, and her legs are planted firmly on the ground.

The determination to withstand whatever comes through is palpable even from here. But.

KWAANG!

A violent explosive sound that makes one wonder if it could have come from a weapon wielded by a human.

The aura, so dense that it’s blazing like fire, concentrates solely on one person, and as if it can’t be blocked.

The arms, transformed into the steel of the God of Earth, eventually cannot withstand Lydia’s strike and break.

Craaaack!

A completely shattered arm. The other arm was full of cracks, and her whole body was covered in blood.

The gal was instantly in a critical state. However, her eyes were still blazing with killing intent. She looked like a beast waiting for an opportunity.

I couldn’t just leave it like that.

Reinforcing the thorn armor in the meantime, I wrapped it again with the surrounding flames and relentlessly swung my fist.

“Fire Punch! Fire Punch! Fire Punch!”

Bang! Boom! Baang!

The creature tried to block somehow with its one remaining iron arm. Its strength, endurance, and even experience were still superior.

But the power of the King of Thorns is never something to be underestimated, and now it is even engulfed in Phoenix flames.

No matter how great an adventurer the opponent is, there’s no way to withstand such direct hits.

Especially in a critical state.

Boom! Boom! Crack! Crash!

With each punch, the remaining iron arm slowly cracked and began to melt, eventually breaking apart without lasting much longer.

Screeeech!

“Aaaaargh!”

Unlike me, who wore armor over my body, this gal’s Power transformed her arms into iron. Was that why? Losing both arms in an instant, she let out a pain-filled scream.

“I can’t accept this!”

“Well, what are you going to do if you don’t accept it?”

“The Goddess’s will is with us! This can’t be happening!”

“What’s this heretic bitch babbling about?”

I smirked and shoved my fist into the mouth of the broken Iron Arm.

Her mouth was scratched by the spikes, causing blood to flow, but I was already covered in blood, so it didn’t really show.

Perhaps sensing her impending death, the gal stopped resisting. However, what filled her eyes wasn’t fear.

Resignation. And a hint of expectation.

So, this gal thinks she’s going to heaven if she dies?

With a chuckle, I slyly pulled out the stone Goddess Statue from my pocket.

It wasn’t the usual compassionate expression, nor the familiar pose with arms slightly open as if to embrace everything.

With a stern face, the Statue’s thumb pointed downward, causing Iron Arm’s expression to twist in shock.

“Th-that…!”

“Yeah. I just asked your Goddess, and she says you’re a heretic.”

“N-nooo! It’s not true!!”

As the girl shook her head, tears and snot streaming down, I gave her a grin and let the thorns in my hand grow.

Thwack!

The thorns that grew from inside pierced the heretic’s entire body and protruded outward.

A horrifying yet awe-inspiring sight reminiscent of divine punishment.

The girl, who was reaching out towards me, or more precisely towards the Goddess Statue in my arms, took her last breath.

“Hoo.”

I stood up only after watching her final moments.

The minor Mentee-class enemies had already been dealt with by the elves, and one of the two Mentors had just died.

Practically speaking, the only one left now was their leader, Tania.

Lydia was already swinging her sword tirelessly to help Benny. As I pondered on how to intervene.

Suddenly, I felt an intense gaze and turned my head.

“Ah. World Tree.”

“Two thrones…”

“This is why the Queen…”

The elves, who had either killed or subdued the remaining Mentees, were looking at me with sparkling eyes.

Their eyes were filled with overwhelming emotion. It seemed like they were intoxicated with a lethal dose of World Tree fervor.

…When it comes out like this, I feel a bit inclined to meet the expectations.

It’s undeniable that something had happened to Eve, and that the Cradle Trading Company, a symbol of the Elven capital, got screwed.

They must be aware of it too. That the diligently built future of their race has suddenly darkened.

Perhaps the reason for Eve’s corruption had a lot to do with the downfall of the Cradle Trading Company’s owner, Tuberose.

It’s merely a conjecture…but the fact that the elven society, which has reached a stable point to the extent that one might consider retiring, is now on the brink of collapse, and that they were betrayed by their kin to whom they had dedicated over a thousand years, isn’t it?

If it were me, my eyes would have rolled, and I would have wanted to overturn everything.

However, to put it differently, this means that although Eve may be constrained now, she will eventually be able to escape on her own and demonstrate her full strength without major injuries.

Honestly, I was a bit harsh on Eve last time, so earning some points here wouldn’t hurt.

Let’s see. What can be done here to boost the morale of the elves?

If it were just Benny, it would be one thing, but with Lydia joining Shadow, they should have a moment of an advantage, so it should be fine.

My mind worked quickly. After sifting through the memories of my past life, one method came to mind.

Fortunately, the time it took to reach this point was at most around three seconds, so it should appear natural and not awkward.

Taking a slight deep breath, I looked up at the throne made of intertwined trees and the pseudo-World Tree behind it.

To be honest, I don’t know if it will work, but thinking that I have nothing to lose even if I fail, I squeezed out all my remaining strength.

Unlike the Aura that hasn’t fully recovered due to the aftereffects of Dormant Explosion, I squeezed out all the remaining magic and divine power without leaving any behind.

It’s not that I’m trying to do something grand. I’m just trying to maximize my presence and aura by letting it flow through my entire body.

At the same time, I released the thorn armor on my face and fully manifested the Avatar of Love.

The sensation of my existence being infinitely elevated. It’s different from the omnipotence of Basilieus. If I had to describe it, it’s the feeling of my existence growing beyond a certain threshold.

I instinctively knew. At this very moment. I am loved by the world.

Only after confirming the shock, disbelief, and a hint of joy on Tania’s usually calm and composed face did I open my mouth to speak.

“Respect for the devotion of the Great Mother.”

In response to my words, the enormous pseudo-World Tree rises entirely. Its threatening branches and roots seem to declare that it can no longer tolerate further tyranny.

“Reverence for the last remaining love in this world.”

This time, I gently patted the small statue of the Goddess in my arms.

Despite its apparent exhaustion, a faint warmth could be felt from the statue.

Finally, I pointed to Tania, who was rushing towards me, even while enduring attacks from Benny and Lydia.

“However, punish those who disrupt our peace.”

Simultaneously, I drew out Basilieus’s power to its maximum. Ignoring the strain on my mental strength, I pushed it to its highest output.

Crash!

The trees throughout the banquet hall, including the enormous pseudo-World Tree, rise in unison to block Tania’s path.

It felt as if the entire forest was acting on my behalf to eliminate my enemy.

Tania, who had been closing the distance while burning everything in her path, had allowed Benny and Lydia’s attacks multiple times.

In the end, exhausted and blocked by countless tree roots, Tania was stopped right in front of me.

As her life seemed to wane, I whispered into Tania’s ear, enduring the dwindling flames with my thorn armor.

“Now you understand, don’t you? The Goddess’s will is with me, not you.”

“…!”

Desperately reaching out to me with her mouth agape.

However, unlike the iron will she had just moments ago, the emotions in Tania’s eyes were not betrayal or guilt.

Ecstasy. Her eyes were filled only with ecstasy as she swung at the air.

“Give, give it to me. If I can receive that blessing of yours, the Goddess will…!”

“Iya.”

You want to steal my power and become something like an Apostle of the Goddess of Love?

Thinking she was genuine, I gave a light clap.

“I really acknowledge you… So I’ll send you off a bit stylishly.”

Lydia slashed, Benny rotted the wound on her chest, and then I thrust my thorn-covered hand into it.

Then, with my last bit of strength, I activated Basilieus.

The thorny vines covering my body were absorbed into Tania’s heart as if they were sucked in. And soon, a thorny tree began sprouting crazily.

It’s not just that vines sprouted all over her body. A massive tree was literally growing from inside Tania’s body.

It looked as if a person had been turned into a tree.

With the armor off and my body bare. Gasping for breath, I finished speaking.

“The King of Thorns humbly entreats you.”

…Wasn’t that quite impactful?

I wonder if there’s any way to collect some taxes from the elves every year.

Rolling gacha with the national budget. Just thinking about it makes me excited.