Noah finally opened his eyes after what felt like a really, really deep sleep...
Only to be met with the same mysterious priest-slash-invader group—now looking like a tattered mess—and his apartment... completely wrecked beyond recognition.
"...What the fuck...?" he muttered, utterly dumbfounded.
However—
"—! M-my brothers—! S-stand your ground...!"
Those same priests were now in full alert mode, trembling yet defensive, staring at him as if they were seeing a ghost—
"Wait... didn't I—!"
Noah quickly checked his body, recalling quite horrifically that he'd been stabbed through the heart by that same panicked head priest—
Only to find... all of his wounds were gone—
Especially the one on his chest...!
But... that wasn't the only thing he found quite surprising...
He realized quite shockingly that he was...
Floating on air...!
"...What the actual fuck...?!"
What's more, his entire body was wrapped from head to toe in some kind of strange, ethereal energy...!
"What is happening to me...?!"
His mind ran wild, scrambling to make sense of what was going on—
Until... a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"No... don't tell me...!"
Floating in mid-air... covered in eerie, glowing light... with people staring at him like he was some kind of apparition—
As if he really was a ghost—!
"Am I dead—"
'No, you're not, idiot!'
"Whoah—?!?"
Noah jerked in surprise, spinning around in panic as a voice suddenly echoed through his head!
He quickly looked around, searching for whoever had just shouted at him... but there was no one.
Only the same ruined apartment... and, of course, the same terrified priests still holding their weapon arsenals at him.
"Hold on... that voice..."
The woman's voice that had reverberated inside his skull—he recognized it...!
"Evangeline...? Was that you...?"
'Indeed, mortal. It is I... the Great Spirit—Evangeline!!!'
"O-Okay, okay! Stop shouting into my ears!" he snapped as he tried to cover them, wincing in annoyance. "Where are you? Is this one of your 'ghost tricks'?"
'It's not some 'ghost trick,' you dummy!'
"Then where are you?!"
'...I'm inside of you, mortal,' Evangeline finally revealed, her voice echoing clearly inside his mind.
"...Huh?"
Noah froze. His brain just... stopped.
"...What?" he uttered, blinking rapidly, both confused and a little disturbed. "W-what do you mean you're inside of me...?"
'Sigh... don't be alarmed, mortal,'she reassured him, though he could still sense the irritation in her tone. 'Right now, I'm residing within your body—lending you my power so that you can survive this ordeal...!'
"...Residing...? Lending...?! Survive...?!? Hold on, what's going on here—?"
'No time to explain, mortal! Focus on what's in front of you!'
"Huh—"
"Surround him!!!"
"Yes, sir!"
"—!"
Noah's head snapped back as he heard the shouting of the murderous head priest, followed by the frantic steps of his subordinates!
They quickly began to circle him—almost exactly like before when they tried to seal off Evangeline—but this time...
The head priest joined in the circle himself...!
"You...!" he shouted toward Noah, trying to draw the now black-haired, floating man's attention. "Blasphemer!!! How can you still be alive...?! I struck you straight through the heart!"
"...Huh? Well... I'm not really sure myself, to be honest," Noah replied with a shrug. "Uh, I guess I'm fortunate enough to have a guardian spirit?"
'Guardian spirit...?'echoed Evangeline inside his mind... somewhat taken a liking to the sound of it.
"...Guardian spirit...? Ah, so that's what it is...!" the head priest said with dawning realization, as though he'd just confirmed his own suspicion. "You must have sold your soul to that evil entity, haven't you...?!"
"...What?"
'...What?'
"You can't fool me, heretic!" the head priest barked with righteous fury. "I know for a fact that you've made a pact with the Evil Spirit itself! That is why you're protecting and harboring it from the holy sanctum, are you not?!"
"Uh... no. What the hell are you even saying, man?" Noah shot back flatly, unable to hide his confusion. "...Though now that I think about it... I guess technically I did make a 'rental' contract with her?"
'Hey! Don't just agree with him, you idiot mortal!'Evangeline snapped, her shouting ringing painfully inside his skull.
"So you admit it after all, damn heretic!" the head priest roared triumphantly. "If that's the case... then you leave us with no choice..."
The head priest raised his sword—!
"We'll have to kill you again to extract the spirit...!"
The other robed priests followed, brandishing their own weapons—short daggers and wooden crossbows...!
"...! Shit, this is getting out of hand...!" Noah muttered, raising his guard as he scanned his surroundings—
But then, a realization struck him as he looked back at his feet...
"Wait..."
...Of which were not touching the ground...!
"How do I even move while floating?!"
'Don't worry, mortal!' Evangeline quickly reassured. 'Just imagine yourself swimming in the air!'
"Swimming in the air—?!"
"Charge!!!"
"—!"
Noah was about to question further, but the head priest's shout cut through his thoughts—immediately followed by his subordinates rushing in to attack!
"Damnit...!"
One of the subordinate priests—the same one Noah remembered punching earlier—charged straight at him with his dagger—!
"Take this!"
"Kuh!?"
Noah twisted his body just in time as the priest swung the dagger—!
The blade missed its mark by just an inch before Noah forced his body to drift backward, barely avoiding the strike—!
However—
"I'm taking you down...!"
Another priest lunged forward with his own dagger—!
"God damnit—!"
Noah jerked his body away again, dodging another blade by pure luck. But he still had no control over his movement, and his body flew farther than intended...!
"He's getting away!"
"Shoot him down!"
"Fuck! How the hell do I even do this shit?!" Noah shouted in frustration as several priests lined up their crossbows, aiming straight at him...!
'Didn't you listen to what I just said? Swim, mortal!'
"Ugh...! Fine!"
Frantically turning away from the scene, Noah forced himself to focus—to imagine himself swimming... recalling the faint memory of the swimming lesson he had done before...
And soon enough... his body began to move as s if he were gliding through water itself!
Volley of crossbow bolts whistled past him! However, his body had propelled forward with a strong push—!
He moved like a fish—no, like a mermaid—swiftly dodging more bolts that barely missed their target...!
"Wait, hold on... this is awesome!"
'See, mortal? Just as I said~,'Evangeline boasted proudly—tone dripping with smugness. 'Follow my orders and you might just survive another night!'
"Roger that, ma'am~!"
And with another strong kick of his feet, Noah darted through the air, heading straight toward the apartment wall—
Before his body phased through it like fog!