Catgirls And Dungeons-Chapter 270: Eris’ truth

It takes me a second to realize that the duel is really over.

YES! ALTER! WE WON! WE WON!!!

I’m so happy that if Alter weren’t controlling my body right now, I’d definitely be jumping up and down, screaming my lungs out.

Instead, my tail just gives a small, uncontrollable wiggle.

Alter, in contrast, remains completely calm and nonchalant. She knows how strong she is. There was never a real chance Eris could beat her.

Though... I have to admit, there were moments when I honestly thought we were completely screwed.

Phew.

What a relief.

On the other hand, Eris slowly regains her usual calm demeanor as well. The tension drains from her shoulders as she exhales softly.

"Well," she says to Alter, "I lost. You were much stronger than me."

"Of course," Alter replies, crossing her arms with a smug smile.

"Then," Eris continues after a brief pause, "here’s what I promised you."

She takes a few steps back and raises her hand, chanting her divine incantation once more. Dark clouds churn overhead, and from within them, the Divine Sword of the End descends again, slamming into the ground with a heavy bang.

Eris grips the greatsword, runs her fingers along its blade one last time, then turns and offers it to Alter.

Because she lost...

Alter is now the owner of that sword.

Still... I’m surprised by how easily Eris hands it over.

Just like that?

A bet?

For a divine weapon?

A strange feeling twists in my gut. Something about this doesn’t sit right. But no matter how hard I think about it, I can’t quite tell what it is.

But then—

"Tch. Since when did I say I wanted your Sheol?" Alter suddenly says, a smug curl on her lips.

"What?" Eris blurts out.

And me...

I’m confused too.

"Alter, what do you mean?" Eris asks again, still staring at her in disbelief. "You said you wanted Sheol, didn’t you?"

Alter simply shakes her head.

"Nope. You misunderstood." She smirks again. "I said I wanted to see something you currently have. I never said I wanted Sheol."

And the moment she says that—

Oh shit...

I replay her words in my head, and she’s right. She never mentioned Sheol even once.

That was just Eris’s assumption.

But then...

That only raises a far more terrifying question.

If it’s not Sheol, then what in the world does Alter want from Eris?

What could possibly be more important than a divine weapon?

Gasp!

Don’t tell me... does Eris have another divine artifact?!

"I-I see..." Eris mutters, her brows still knit in confusion. "Then... what do you want to see, Alter? If it’s another divine weapon or artifact, I’m afraid I don’t have any..."

"Nope." Alter shakes her head again.

"What I want to see..." She pauses deliberately, then lifts a finger and points straight at Eris, her eyes narrowing.

"Gulp..." Eris swallows.

And I tense up too, my heart pounding.

Come on, Alter. Just say it already!

"...is your mana core."

...

Eh?

Eris... mana core?

(Alter, what are you talking about?) I ask, my confusion rising.

"Exactly what I said," Alter replies firmly. "I want to see Eris’s mana core."

(But why?)

I press again.

But then, as my attention shifts to Eris, something feels... wrong.

Wait—

Eris isn’t saying anything.

Not only that—her face has gone pale. She looks away, her jaw tight, her posture stiff, like she’s trying to escape the moment itself.

She looks... uncomfortable.

Really uncomfortable.

"Hmmm. Looks like my suspicion was correct," Alter says calmly.

That alone sends a chill straight down my spine.

(A-Alter... what do you mean, suspicion?) I ask, my voice shaking inside my head. (What’s wrong with Eris’s mana core?)

I’ve seen it before.

A beautiful, powerful, purple-hued mana core, wrapped in four glowing mana rings. I still remember how mesmerized I was the first time Eris showed it to me.

There was nothing wrong with it.

At least... that’s what I believed.

So why?

Why is Eris refusing to let Alter see it now?

"Tch." Alter clicks her tongue. "Eris. When are you planning to tell Felicia the truth? How much longer do you intend to hide your condition from her?"

At those words, Eris’s body trembles.

I feel my chest tighten.

This time, I force myself forward—and Alter lets me take control.

"Eris..." I ask softly.

My voice wavers. My throat burns. I feel like I might cry at any second.

"What’s happening?" I whisper. "What’s wrong with your core? What condition are you hiding from me?"

My heart clenches painfully, and my vision starts to blur.

I might be naive. I might be silly. But from Alter’s tone, and Eris’s reaction, I already have a terrible feeling.

Whatever the truth is... It’s something Eris believes would break me if I heard it.

And now that I know there is a truth... I can’t endure the silence anymore.

It’s suffocating.

It hurts so badly I feel sick.

"Tch." Alter forcefully takes control again. "If you won’t tell her," she says coldly, "then I will."

Eris bites her lip, her body trembling even harder now.

She opens her mouth, as if to say something, anything, but in the end, she swallows her words.

Another long, painful moment passes.

"Felicia... I’m sorry..."

That’s all she manages to whisper.

"What?" I ask, my voice cracking. "What are you saying? Why are you sorry?"

Eris falls silent again, unable to meet my eyes.

This time, Alter steps in.

And what she says next shatters my entire world.

"She told you her core recovered, didn’t she?" Alter says quietly. "That, by some miracle, she regrew her broken mana rings and became even stronger than before."

There’s a pause.

"Do you really believe that?"

My chest tightens.

"Felicia," Alter continues, her voice heavy, "what Eris showed you was nothing more than a cheap illusion, crafted through precise mana manipulation."

My heart drops.

"In reality, her mana core is damaged beyond repair.

"That girl...she only has a few weeks left to live."