Chapter 82

Daddy moved fast.

Before I knew it, the greatsword he’d summoned had already sliced clean through the doll’s arm.

— Kyaaaah! It hurts! It huuurts! You hurt the tagger!

The arm with the human fingers hit the ground, but from the doll’s severed stump, cotton burst out and knit itself back together into a perfectly restored arm.

What was creepy, though, was how the severed hand’s fingers moved like crab legs, skittering across the floor to reattach themselves to the doll.

“You’re not hurt, are you?!”

Daddy hurried to lift me up.

“Mmh… cough, cough…!”

…He actually came when I was in danger.

I’d thought for sure this was going to be a dead-ending.

Maybe my luck hadn’t run out completely after all.

‘I really almost died.’

I felt like I could cry, but there was no time for that.

[Achievement Unlocked! A Crisis Right at Death’s Door!]

[You have caused a miracle in the face of death! Active Skill “White Silence” acquired!]

‘What?’

Before I could even say anything to Daddy, a sign popped up in front of me and I frantically read it.

‘White Silence? Why would this drop here??’

This skill—just like Purification—only appeared in the late game, around the time you finally got Purification.

They were practically a set.

Thinking back, my earlier luck with that prophecy was one thing… maybe my good luck was just as strong as my bad luck.

‘Ah…!’

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a skill that would help much right now.

‘Daddy’s summon time is only three minutes.’

Sure enough, his form was unstable. The hand holding his sword kept flickering into transparency, and the hem of his clothes faded in and out.

Just like the sign had said—this was an incomplete summon.

“Nemesía, I don’t think we have much time. I can feel a suppression…! Should I take that thing down?”

He’d sensed it too.

“Yesh! Buy me some time!”

There wasn’t much left.

‘While Daddy’s holding it off, I have to activate Purification!’

But in my current state, most skill attempts failed thanks to the status effect.

Would it amplify again? Could I beat the odds this time?

Could I do it before time ran out?

[Would you like to use “Purification”?]

A sign slid into view.

[Mission! Make an adorable cheek-heart!]

[If you fail, skill will not activate!]

‘…A cheek-heart? Seriously?’

Wasn’t this a little much to ask of a shut-in gamer?! I clumsily made a heart shape on my cheek.

[❗ Due to Status Effect “Loss of Control,” skill activation failed!]

Failed.

Boom!

Daddy’s sword was already locked against the doll’s claws, which had grown out like the blades of a beast.

[Mission! Make a flower for Daddy! Shape the petals!]

Another ill-fitting mission popped up.

This one I could actually do!

Except—

[❗ Due to Status Effect “Loss of Control,” skill activation failed!]

Another failure. My nerves tightened. Daddy didn’t say anything, but I could feel his worried gaze on me.

‘This won’t work like this…’

If Daddy’s summon ended like this, it was over. The tagger would catch me, and it’d be game over.

‘And without me, the kids probably wouldn’t make it out either.’

To make matters worse, I could see Daddy’s feet starting to fade.

Sweat gathered on my fingertips.

In the next half-minute, I did every silly thing those signs demanded—four more tries, four more failures.

‘No, no…! Please, just activate already!’

If it didn’t… Daddy would…

With my heart pounding and my chest tight, I gathered divine power one more time.

[Mission! Speak your true feelings to “Daddy”! Say something from the bottom of your heart!]

[If it’s not sincere, skill will not activate!]

This one… it was like it read my mind.

I bit down hard on my lip.

True feelings? Mine…?

My mouth opened on its own.

“D-Daddy… I’m sorry!!”

I’d brought him here hoping to make things better for him, but instead, I’d done nothing but make him suffer—not a single flower-strewn road in sight.

“But… thanks for saving me!”

I’d really thought I was going to die this time. That fear was beyond words.

And along with it, the sight of the doll—growing bigger by feeding on my fear—was even more terrifying.

Those sharp, bloodied teeth… I’d made them myself.

“You’re the only one… I can really trust, Daddy!”

Maybe it sounded shallow, but it was the truth.

[Perfect success! Your true feelings were conveyed! (Bonus: +5% power)]

[Hidden Skill “Purification” activated!]

[Status Effect “Loss of Control” amplification effect triggered!]

[Skill power tripled!]

A pure white light streamed from my hands—but unlike usual, its target wasn’t Daddy.

The brilliant divine power wrapped around the doll locked in combat with him.

Whoosh!

It flared into byak-ka, a white flame that roared to life.

— Aaaargh! No! Save me! Save me! Save me!

— Save me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Engulfed in the flames, the doll couldn’t even move—just thrashed in place.

Daddy ran to me in alarm.

“Nemesía! Are you alright?”

I nodded quickly.

Then I grabbed his hand.

“Daddy, you’re gonna go back soon. You can feel it, right?”

His face stiffened. Silence meant yes.

There was no time, so I spoke quickly.

“You’re in a room, right? The one you were bound in?”

In this phenomenon, each Guardian was bound to a specific room, and only when a child entered could they move freely.

Seeing him fade, I blurted out:

“If kids other than me end up in there, you have to help them!”

Each room targeted one child—and the moment they stepped inside, their worst fear or trauma appeared.

If it wasn’t defeated, they couldn’t leave.

And if they stayed trapped until the Shadow Host caught them, it was over.

I gathered the remaining Purification energy and pushed it into Daddy.

It was only possible because the skill was still active.

Fwoosh!

“All you have to do is see what they’re afraid of, remove it, and comfort them!”

Daddy shook his head, a hint of fear crossing his face.

“M-me? Do you really think I could—”

“Just do it like you do with me!”

I clutched his hands tightly.

To stop him from letting his status effect make him say he was useless again.

“Just like you do with me.”

I said it like I was branding it into him.

You can do it.

Just like before—when you saved so many people—you can save them now too.

“You’re already a great Daddy. Just do what you’ve been doing.”

Slowly, Daddy nodded.

His hand came to rest on my cheek, gently stroking my chubby face before giving the smallest nod.

“…Alright. I understand.”

His expression was pained.

By now, the lower half of his body was almost gone.

Time was up.

“It’s miserable, not being able to do anything. You have to make it back safely.”

“Mhm, of course! You know me, right?”

“…Yes.”

He gave a faint, almost tearful smile, mouthing something silently.

My Pope.

And then, Daddy was gone.

— Kyaaaah! Aaaah! I hate the tagger! Hate it!!

All that remained was the Shadow Host, still wreathed in white fire, screaming.

‘This isn’t the end.’

This phenomenon couldn’t be ended so easily.

Unlike the Dog-Headed Judge, this was an enemy you couldn’t beat in a raid.

The only way to end it was to escape the trial.

‘But this is enough to bind it for a while.’

Before the white flames could fade, I hurried to the door.

The door that had refused to budge earlier slid open—maybe because the tagger was incapacitated.

‘Got it!’

I blinked, and the next moment, I was in a new space.