"…Alright then…"
The Elf Queen had no choice but to compromise. From the tone of Lucia's voice, she could already tell that the "second method" would be even more… indecent.
Her beautiful eyes shifted toward Kurose Akira, and suddenly, fragments of memories surfaced in her mind—images of him with the Dark Elf Queen.
Those broken, painful scenes… intertwined with something indulgent and shameless…
They left a faint trace of fear in her heart.
Fear of that "holy light"…
Hmph.
The Elf Queen steadied her emotions and prepared herself.
It was just a kiss. Nothing more.
And no one would see it—aside from Lucia and Mira Aure.
Most importantly—
Kurose Akira had been put in danger by that drop of necrotic god-blood because of her. It had been the Undead Lord's weapon meant for her.
She slowly raised her hand and gently cupped his face.
Her fingertips were soft and smooth, sending a soothing warmth through him. The pain from the god-blood dulled, replaced instead by something… strangely pleasant.
"Your Majesty, actually—"
Kurose Akira had just begun to speak, intending to tell her that kissing him wasn't strictly necessary.
Because he knew very well—the "other method" Lucia mentioned was probably something entirely proper.
For example: simply inserting a finger into his mouth to make contact with the god-blood and share the burden of its deathly aura.
As for why Lucia didn't suggest that method… she likely had her own reasons.
But before he could finish, the Elf Queen cut him off.
"Please don't worry," she said gently. "You did everything you could to help me. I would never stand by and ignore your suffering."
"…However…"
She turned her head slightly and asked Lucia, "Before that, I would like to confirm—do I need to use my tongue?"
Lucia: "..."
After a moment of silence, she finally answered slowly, "…Yes."
"…I see."
The Elf Queen gave a helpless smile, then leaned forward on her own initiative.
Their lips met—soft, warm, and yielding.
It felt like falling into a lake, as if cool water wrapped around the body like a newborn being cradled.
A fish brushed past the skin, sending ripples of gentle sensation through him.
The oppressive force of the necrotic god-blood weakened once more.
Yet as he indulged in that moment, Kurose Akira failed to notice Lucia watching them without blinking—her golden-red eyes faintly glimmering with something that looked suspiciously like jealousy.
In contrast, Mira Aure watched with open delight, clearly enjoying the chaotic nature of their relationships.
Several minutes later, the Elf Queen finally pulled away, though not without reluctance.
She wiped the corner of her lips with her sleeve, her expression calm and composed—
Yet her heartbeat had quickened.
After all… that had been her first kiss.
"…Is that enough?" she asked, turning to Lucia.
"…Yes." Lucia nodded slightly, then added, "Also, part of the divine power from the necrotic god-blood will affect us. We may occasionally experience… urges that are difficult to endure."
"Urges… difficult to endure?"
The Elf Queen frowned slightly, confusion evident in her eyes.
What kind of "urges" could she possibly mean?
But Lucia simply shook her head, offering no further explanation.
Because even she didn't fully understand it—
She only knew that… she herself was already beginning to feel that strange, inexplicable desire.
"…Alright~ My turn now, right?" Mira Aure chimed in at that moment.
"…Yes, please—"
Before Lucia could finish, Mira had already moved.
Unlike Lucia and the Elf Queen, she was far more aggressive—pushing Kurose Akira down beneath her without hesitation.
"W-Wait! You—!"
Both Lucia and the Elf Queen were visibly startled.
They didn't know what kind of relationship existed between Kurose Akira and Mira Aure—
But what they were seeing now…
It was far more intimate than they had imagined.
She was far too forward.
It almost looked like she intended to devour him whole.
And there was nothing they could do to stop her—just as no one could stop a dragon in the middle of feeding.
More unsettling still…
Mira Aure began making soft, peculiar sounds.
"Mmm~ You taste quite good~"
"Let me savor you a bit more~"
"Are you resisting? Was I too rough?"
"Don't worry… I'll cleanse all that necrotic god-blood for you~"
"Mm~"
"..."
Lucia and the Elf Queen exchanged a glance.
Their expressions were a mix of helplessness… and faint schadenfreude.
A few minutes later, Mira Aure finally finished.
Kurose Akira sat there in a daze, saliva trailing from the corner of his mouth, his eyes unfocused.
Perhaps it was the lingering effects of escaping the realm of death—
His mind still felt foggy.
Occasionally, he could still hear the distant call of the Death Goddess… though it was faint and unclear.
"Guildmaster… is he alright?" the Elf Queen asked with concern, glancing at Lucia. He didn't look "fine" at all.
"He needs rest," Lucia replied. "The deathly aura remained in his body for too long. It's caused some residual effects."
Then she shot him a glare.
"And whose fault is that? Who told him to do something so reckless—using his tongue to catch a god's blood? That's insanity!"
Yet even as she said it, she couldn't deny the shock she felt.
Despite everything—
He had actually neutralized the threat to the Elf Queen's life.
And most importantly—
He survived.
If it had been any other demigod, they would have been crushed to dust by the power of that blood.
"…Was I too rough?" Mira Aure, on the other hand, showed no concern whatsoever. She poked his cheek with a finger, smiling. "Still… I gained something unexpected from you this time."
"Unexpected…?" Lucia and the Elf Queen both looked puzzled.
After all, they had also shared the burden of the god-blood's power—
But neither of them had gained anything.
"You didn't feel it?" Mira tilted her head, smiling faintly. "The necrotic god-blood has changed… it was altered by this little one."
As she spoke, she gently tapped her own forehead.
In an instant, a complex and exquisite pattern appeared—
A black snowflake.
"…What is that?" Lucia and the Elf Queen both showed visible surprise.
Lucia immediately rushed over to inspect Kurose Akira's forehead—
But strangely, there was no such mark there.
At that moment, the Elf Queen tugged lightly at her collar and said, "It seems… ours aren't in the same place."
"…?"
When Lucia saw the black snowflake resting against the Elf Queen's pale chest, realization struck.
She quickly began searching her own body—
But no matter how she checked, she couldn't find it.
Mira's was on her forehead. The Elf Queen's was on her chest.
So hers…
Suddenly—
A terrible thought crossed her mind.
Her gaze slowly lowered.
Then she shut her eyes and sensed her own body.
The moment she found it—
Her face flushed bright red.
The mark… was on her butt.
…Ah.
Lucia let out a quiet sigh, then turned her gaze toward Kurose Akira.
So then—
Where was his?
"I'll check!"
Before Lucia could finish her thought, Mira Aure suddenly stripped Kurose Akira completely bare, revealing his well-built body.
The Elf Queen gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
Lucia, meanwhile, stared intently—
Because she had already spotted it.
The black snowflake… was engraved directly onto his "holy light."
"…There it is," Mira said casually, reaching out to gently poke the mark. "Though his is a bit different from ours."
"What's different? And… what exactly is this mark?" Lucia asked, still confused.
"While I don't fully understand what mutation occurred within his body," Mira explained, casually tapping his "holy light" again as if testing its resilience, "one thing is certain—the necrotic god-blood has lost its original nature."
"…And has instead been infused with his power."
"…It lost its original nature?" Lucia and the Elf Queen still couldn't fully grasp it.
They weren't followers of Life—they couldn't perceive such changes the way Mira could.
But one thing was clear—
Kurose Akira had altered the power of a god.
"This power can't be developed yet," Mira continued, her body beginning to fade. "But if I discover anything new, I'll have him relay it to you."
The power from the Sacred Dragon's heart-scale was fading.
She had to return to her seal.
Seeing this, Lucia quickly said, "Thank you for your help, Lady Life Dragon. You saved his life."
"Hehe~ Just call me Mira~" she waved lightly.
By age, she could easily be Lucia's ancestor—
But she was still a woman.
And if possible, she preferred to keep a youthful mindset.
Just before disappearing, Mira cast one last glance at Kurose Akira—
A strange smile forming on her lips—
Then vanished without a trace.
"…With this, the crisis is finally over." Lucia let out a long breath, turning to the Elf Queen.
"This is all thanks to you, Your Holiness," the Elf Queen said gratefully. "The Elf Kingdom will remember your aid."
"You're too kind, Your Majesty. I've long wished to meet you—today, that wish has finally come true."
After all, the Elf Queen was a legend who had existed for tens of thousands of years—
Revered as the most perfect woman in the world.
Of course Lucia had wanted to see her.
But now that they had met…
She couldn't help but think—
The Queen wasn't quite as unparalleled as the rumors claimed.
At the very least—
Her own beauty was in no way inferior.
Just as the two continued their polite exchange—
A sound suddenly interrupted them.
Kurose Akira stirred, slowly sitting up.
His gaze was unfocused as he looked around… then down at himself.
"…Huh? Where are my clothes?"
When he noticed his "holy light" glowing brightly—with that black snowflake engraved on it—
His vision went dark.
He nearly passed out again.
But soon, his attention locked onto the mark.
A system prompt appeared:
[Flower of Death and Corruption (?): ???]
"…Flower of Death and Corruption?"
He stared at it, deep in thought—
Until Lucia's voice broke his concentration.
"You're awake?"
"…Yeah…" he replied absentmindedly, still staring downward.
Only after a moment did he finally look up.
"So… is the threat from the necrotic god-blood completely gone?"
"Not yet," Lucia shook her head. "But it's stable for now. The only issue is… all of us have been marked with this strange pattern."
She pointed at his.
"…You all have it too?" His eyes lit up instantly with curiosity.
"Mm…"
Before she could answer—
He suddenly rushed over.
"Where are yours? Let me see!"
"Wait—?!"
"Found it!"
Without hesitation, he lifted Lucia's skirt—
And found the black snowflake on her backside.
The ease with which he located it… almost felt like some kind of instinctive connection.
"You—!" Lucia froze.
As the Pope of Light, she had never experienced such humiliation—
Having a man lift her skirt and look at her butt!
But before she could erupt—
He had already turned toward the Elf Queen.
"Your Majesty, let me check yours too."
"W-Wait…"
"No need to be shy. This is for solving the problem at its root, right?"
"Hold on—!"
She stood no chance.
He quickly found the mark on her chest.
Yet in the process, Kurose Akira realized something—
This "Flower of Death and Corruption" didn't feel like a side effect of the god-blood.
On the contrary—
He could sense his own aura within it.
Which meant…
The necrotic god-blood had undergone some kind of transformation inside him—
Becoming his power?
He rubbed his chin, thinking carefully.
Could it be related to "27"?
If so…
That definitely warranted deeper investigation.
"Let me take a closer look!"
Lucia: "???"
Elf Queen: "Again!?"
"Be good—this is for our future!"
"Put your clothes on first! Your 'holy light' is exposing your dirty thoughts!"
"…Is it that obvious? Then, Your Holiness… would you help me calm it down?"
"!!?"